Zelda
by Andrew Borealis
Summary: This is what happened after Link got out of Termina. He quickly found himself staying at the castle... Anyway, this is from Link's pov, hope you like it.
1. The Start of my New Life

Chapter 1: The Start of my New Life

Finding my way… Termina is a hard place to find, and even harder to leave… I had, of course, taken all of my masks, and Epona was barely able to get inside the clock tower in South Clock Town. Somehow, though, I was able to make it back… I soon found myself riding through the Lost Woods, hearing a familiar tune… As I heard Saria's Song, I suddenly remembered it for myself…

I pulled out the legendary Ocarina of Time and put it to my lips. Upon doing so, I played a song I thought I would never use again… The Minuet of Forest. The notes rang a tone of familiarity in my large, pointed ears. Upon finishing the song, a green glow surrounded me, and I was whisked off to the Sacred Forest Meadow, where a good friend was waiting.

"Link!" Saria shouted, as she ran over and hugged me as tightly as possible. I looked at her face and smiled. She was the same as always. She wore the traditional garb of a Kokiri girl, consisting of a short, green dress with dark-green sleeves, and Kokiri boots. Her green hair was a testament to her deep connection with the heart of the Forest. Her blue eyes shined as I looked into them. "How have you been? Where have you been? What happened to you? I heard a strange sound three days ago and the spirits told me that you were gone!" She continued like this for ten solid minutes.

After the questioning was all over, I regaled her with the tales of my many adventures in Termina, helping the people of the vast kingdom, one by one, for what felt like a year, but, in actuality, only took three days in actual time. After the tale of my battle with the ferocity that was Majora's Mask, Saria stared blankly. I doubted that she even came close to believing the fantastic tale…

"Wow… You must have been really busy!" Saria stated. "But really, I'm just excited to have you home…" She closed her eyes, and started to walk back through the forest. "I was really worried about you, Link… Because… It's said that the Kokiri die if they leave the Forest…"

"Well… Saria…" I started. I truly wanted to tell her what the Deku Sprout had told me, seven years in the future. _I am not a Kokiri, Saria…_ I soon came to my senses, and smiled. "I'm OK…"

We walked through the Lost Woods, knowing the path like we knew each other, and parted upon coming to its exit. She couldn't leave the forest, for some reason… I quickly climbed down the vine-covered wall behind the home of Mido, the so-called "big boss of the Kokiri", and turned to face the log opening that marked the exit of the sacred Kokiri Forest…. I turned, looking at the scenery, and all of the children of the woods playing… Physically, I was the same age as all of them, but I had been through so much more… I had once been the legendary Hero of Time… I had wielded the legendary Master Sword and fought along the six Sages and Princess Zelda against the horrible King of Evil known as Ganon. As I thought of Zelda, my thoughts returned to the task at hand. Now that my journey was over, I had to return the Ocarina…

I ran to the exit of the forest, unconfronted by any of the other children. They had all seen me leave before, so they weren't worried. Upon leaving, I found myself once again in the vast expanse of land known as Hyrule Field. I had made this field my home several times after starting my journey for Zelda… I once again played a familiar song on the Ocarina of Time… This one was a simpler tune, Epona's Song… I had used this song several times in both Hyrule and Termina to call the trusted horse to my side. When the song was done, I looked towards the east, and the brown and white stallion came galloping at full speed to me. I got on, and made quick work of the trip to the walls of Castle Town.

I dismounted the horse and proceeded into the hustling and bustling that was the Castle Town Market, soon making my way to the gates of the massive Hyrule Castle. I quickly made my way around the many guards and found myself looking at the wide entrance to the courtyard where I first met the Princess of Destiny, Zelda… Surprisingly, my heart was pounding like a Goron on a large drum. I had thought of Zelda previously since returning to Hyrule, but I had never been so nervous. I found myslef thinking of what to say, and how to address her, for, although I knew her well enough to call her "friend"… And… Perhaps more… She only knew of me as one that she had only met twice. I sighed, and stepped forward… This would probably be the last time would look into those beautiful sapphire eyes… For some reason, thinking about it that way hurt…

"Zelda?" I said, slowly walking up to the steps she stood on… "I'm back… I've brought back the Ocarina…" She turned around gracefully, her pink and white dress shining in the sunlight. She looked upon me and smiled.

"Welcome back, Link." She replied. For some reason, I found a distinct comfort in hearing her speak. "How was Termina?"

I staggered backwards for a moment. She knew about Termina? How?

"How did you know I was there?" I asked, confused.

"I felt a large evil coming from there… Then, three days later, I felt that all was well. I knew you were there, because the only known entrance to that kingdom is in the Forest, which is where you were searching for your friend." Zelda stated. She smiled, and then leaned forward. "By the way… Did you find her?"

"No…" I said. "She was nowhere to be found inside the Forest…"

"I'm sorry." Zelda said, and I could feel how sorry she really was. "Well, it seems that it would do you well to stay a while…"

I looked at the princess. She had turned red upon her invitation. I merely sat on the edge of the small island-like structure that led to the stone steps just looking into the throne room. Letting my feet dangle in the water, I looked up to see the sky, only to see the lovely face of the princess looking me in the eye. She laughed and I screamed loudly, falling face-first into the water that surrounded the garden.

"Is that some kind of habit you princesses have?" I asked, recalling a similar experience with the Zora princess, Ruto. "Or was that just on a whim?"

"I just felt like it, so… the latter would be the appropriate response." Zelda said, giggling. I could tell she was enjoying the sight of me, soaking wet in my green Kokiri tunic and cone-shaped hat.

"Well, I'd best get going… I still have to find my friend…" I stated. I started to walk away…

"No… Please don't…" Zelda called. "I have very few people who I can laugh with… Your company is… comforting…"

After hearing that, there was no way I could leave…


	2. Persuading Daddy

Chapter 2: Persuading "Daddy"

I soon found myself holding hands with the Princess of Hyrule, about as red as a Heart Container, and walking down the corridors of the castle. It was a splendid building, and hard to tell it was this large from the outside. The walls were draped with blue and gold cloth, the colors that symbolized Hyrule, and there were Triforce markings above every doorway. Even the bricks that made up the building had a silvery glow to them. The soldiers, stiff as they were, looked completely natural with all the scenery around. It was truly a magnificent sight, and I found my eyes soaking it in far too quickly.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, confused. I had no idea where we were going, and I knew Zelda had the answer.

"We're going to see my dad!" Zelda replied, she seemed rather excited about finally introducing the one she could litteraly call "the boy of her dreams" to her father. I, of course, had no intention of letting anyone know about that.

"Wait, _Dad_? You mean the KING?!" I exclaimed. "Why do I have to _meet_ him?"

"Because I need to have his permission in order for you to stay here." Zelda said. "Besides, I think I can persuade him into making you a respected person in the castle!" With that comment, she started to giggle. I found myself even more red-faced as I saw her smile…

We soon came to two large oak doors with gold embroidary lining the smooth, complex knotwork that decorated them. Zelda looked at one of the guards and smiled, and the guard immediately called for the large doors to be opened. I looked inside the room and couldn't help but stare… The throne room… It was as big as the Hyrule Castle Town Marketplace! I noticed that the celing was only a tiny bit lower then the top branches of the Great Deku Tree, and that Lord Jabu-Jabu might even be able to sleep in the large girth that was the throne room without a single problem!

"So…" I started as we walked closer to the large golden thrones that were to seat the King and Queen of Hyrule. "You seem to have taken on the Zora habit of sneaking up on people and surprising them, so… does your dad give Goron Hugs?"

Zelda looked at me and beamed. "You'll just have to find _that_ out for yourself, Mr. Hero!" I smiled. I really couldn't hold it in… Being with her just… made me smile…

After about a five minutes of walking, we finally made it to the other end of the throne room. I looked at the golden chairs with the blue cushioning, and noticed a large, dark-skinned man with a white beard in the throne on the left. He was obviously Zelda's father. He wore a red dress tunic with gold trimmings, black hose underneath, and a long, red robe to keep himself warm. The crown that capped his head was a sign of his massive authority, and fatherhood of the girl whose hand clasped my own at the time. I noticed, then, that the throne on the right was surprisingly empty… I decided I would worry about that later, because the King suddenly turned his head to make a sharp look at me. I released my hand from Zelda's grip and fell to one knee, in honor of the King's authority.

"Hello, Daddy. This is my friend Link!" Zelda stated.

"How do you do, Link?" the King asked.

"Very well, m'lord…" I said, sounding like the peasant I most likely was.

"You may stand." He stated, raising his hand. "What brings you here to the castle?"

"Actually," Zelda started. "That's why we've come to see you… I was hoping that Link could stay here at the castle with us!"

"Oh really?" the King asked, sounding suspicious. "Was this _your_ idea, or Link's?"

"Mine." Zelda stated, bluntly.

"And… what duties might he be able to perform around the castle to earn this stay?" he asked the Princess.

"If I may speak m'lord…" I started.

"You may…"

"I could become a squire and train to become one of the Knights of Hyrule." I stated. The position of a squire seemed fitting for someone of my skills and age, and it would honor Zelda's request of staying at the castle with her.

"A squire, eh?" the King said. "And what experience do you have in the field of combat, child?"

Upon hearing the question, I started to think of my most impressive victories, such as my victory over Dark Link, my evil counterpart, or Ganondorf himself, but then I decided to go with a simpler, easier to believe, story. I told him of the time I tried to break the curse that sapped the Great Deku Tree of its life force by destroying the foul parasitic arachnid, Ghoma. I left no details untold, and even showed him my Fairy Slingshot and a piece of Ghoma's exoskeleton as proof. I had my doubts that my tale would be believed…

"Well… I don't see why we can't accept someone like you into squirehood. I will allow you to stay." the King stated, with a tone that said how impressed he was. "But be warned that you will have many duties around the castle, both concerning your squirehood and your apparent friendship with my daughter."

"I understand, m'lord." I said. "I will take these duties with honor!" I followed my comment with a bow of salute to the King.

Zelda looked ecstatic. I didn't know why, but I felt the same way… It wasn't even my idea to stay at the castle with her, and from her point of view, we hadn't known each other long… Then I remembered what she said when she first learned my name… _**Link? Hmm… It sounds, somehow… familiar.**_ I pondered this memory for a moment as Zelda took my hand once more and led me to the barracks where I would most likely spend the next few years…


	3. Life with Zelda

Chapter 3: Life with Zelda

Six months passed, and I was quite the squire to a Hylian Knight named Gauron. He stood like a father figure to me, and taught me the ways known as "proper manners", which made it much easier to get along with everyone when it came time for meals. Zelda frequently invited me to have dinner with her and her father. I happily accepted if I was able. Of course, I would spend my days off going and visiting friends. I went and played the ocarina for Darunia, of the Gorons, and Princess Ruto was as clingy as ever. Malon was quite happy to see Epona, as well. When I wasn't visiting people, I would spend my time with Zelda.

"So… What do you want to do today?" Zelda asked. It was the six-month anniversary of my arrival at the castle. "We could go to the market!"

I had barely a chance to speak before she was off, once again holding my hand as to pull me along with her. We went to the Bombchu Bowling Alley as soon as we got there. I found the game they had to be rather fun.

"All right!" the shopkeep exclaimed. "If either of you two can win this, you'll get this FABULOUS PRIZE!" Suddenly, there was a large poof and a gigantic jewel appeared. Zelda looked at the stone, utterly amazed.

"Wow… How did they get their hands on _that_?" Zelda asked. Her sapphire eyes took in the entirety of the blue jewel instantly, seeing her reflection in every finely-cut surface…

"I don't know, but I can win it for you if you want." I replied. I was serious, too. I had grown quite skilled at the game of Bombchu Bowling.

"You can?" Zelda repeated. She looked puzzled. She most likely knew _exactly_ how Bombchu worked. They tended to take a path that resembled a zigzag and could adjust their wheels to any surface, crawling along the surface until finaly exploding. The devices would also change direction on the wall depending on the angle at which they were released. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I've played this game hundreds of times!" I stated. I probably shouldn't have bragged, though…

"Oh really?" the shopkeep asked. "Then I guess you won't mind if I crank up the difficulty for ya?" With that, he flipped a panel on his counter and turned a crank, causing more obstacles to come out…

"I… I can do this…" I stated. I laid twenty Rupees on the counter and took a bag of ten Bombchu. I slowly took one out, faced perfectly forward, watched for the timing between the spiked balls that slowly moved back and forth, and made sure the cucoo was out of the way of the impending explosive device, lit the Bombchu, and let it roll.

Amazingly, the device easily slipped past the spike balls, and the cucoo remained completely unharmed. The Bombchu slid up the wall, into the hole… and… BOOM! The wall came crashing down to reveal the next level! It didn't look much harder, until the blade swung from the ceiling…

"That… was not there before!" I said, staring blankly at the blade swinging back and forth in front of the tiny hole. My aim would have to be perfect. Not only would I have to avoid _all_ the previous obstacles, but also the swinging pendulum of death just bofore the goal… I started to look carefully at the bag I was holding… I took out a Bombchu, and did the same thing I had done for the previous level… I hoped it would work… It slid past the other obstacles, and… Got sliced in half, leaving black residue on the wall from the large explosion… I tried again multiple times… Each time ending the same way, until I had only one left…

"Come on, Link! I know you can do it!" Zelda called. I looked back at her, and she didn't even try to look at the wonderful crystal that was offered as a prize anymore. She just looked at me, smiling. She wore no headress on that day, so her long, blond hair flowed down onto her shoulders and down her back. She wore a light blue dress, similar to her usual pink one, but with no sleeves attatched because of the hot summer weather. She stood there, looking at me with her lovely sapphire eyes in the same way she had previously stared at the real sapphire. A smile graced her lips, as she held her hands together tightly, merely from the excitement of the game, and seeing me play it. "You don't have to win, just do your absolute best!"

With that, I took out the last of the Bombchu with newfound confidence, lined up my shot, and let the device roll away… The blade swung back and forth, the Bombchu rolled onward… The blade swung… The Bombchu… SURVIVED! It rolled up the wall, nearing its target, made it into the hole and BOOM! Confetti and streamers rained down from a panel in the ceiling, and Zelda rushed towards me, leaping onto me and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Link, that was amazing!" Zelda exclaimed as she gave me a kiss on the cheek, without any warning, I might add. I had never been this close to a girl before… I suddenly turned beet red… She noticed the blushing and pulled away from me as quicly as she could. "I'm sorry… I just couldn't help myself… You were just so cool…"

"It's OK." I said. "It's just that that kind of stuff has never happened to me before…" We took the large jewel and exited the shop in silence…

On the way back to the castle, I couldn't help but look at Zelda as I carried the winnings from Bombchu Bowling.

"So, what do you plan on doing with this, anyway?" I asked the girl.

"You mean, you're still giving it to me?" Zelda replied, sounding absolutely dumbstruck. "Thank you…"

"You're welcome." I said. "But that doesn't tell me what you plan to do with it."

"Oh, yeah… You're right…" Zelda stated. There was a slight tinge of red in her cheeks. "I'll have to think about that…"

We soon made it back to the castle. It had gotten dark, and some servants had taken the sapphire from me, and followed Zelda to wherever her room was. I merely stood, watching as the lovely Princess of Hyrule strode gracefully down the hall…

"LINK!" a voice screamed, I screamed and turned around to find Gauron, my supervising Knight, standing over me. "How was your day?" He asked.

"It was good…" I replied…


	4. A Strange Celebration

Chapter 4: A Strange Celebration

It had been a year and six months since I had been allowed to stay at the castle, and I had started to ease into a peaceful life once again… I was now spending much of my time off from squirehood with either Zelda or Gauron. I normally woke up, went to train, and then ate, soon after being welcomed by Zelda. But, something was different today…

As I opened my eyes in the morning, I noticed a sparkle of blue right above me, with a warm breath coming down and gently caressing my face, and strawberry blond hair dangling all around my head…

"Good morning, Link!" Zelda stated as she stood up straight as rapidly as she could. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, I'd say." I replied. I had gotten used to the sudden close-ups that Zelda and Ruto tended to give me every now and then, letting them pass as a statement that some girls just like to surprise you. "So… Why are you in here?"

"Well, honestly, this morning, a little birdie told me what day it is…" Zelda said. I pondered for a moment about her "birdie" comment, then realized what she must have been talking about. "He told me it was your eleventh birthday! He also said… Strangely enough, hoot, a lot…"

"I see…" I started. I was right… Kaepora Gaebora had actually decided to stop guiding me after I had received the Silver Gauntlets from the Spirit Temple, but he still dropped by every once in a while to check up on me. "That 'little birdie' has actually told me a lot of stuff, before…"

"Hmm… Hey Link…" began Zelda, starting to turn red. "Why are you still under the covers?" Hearing this, I quickly looked in the direction I thought to be down, and noticed… I _was_ still in bed… Then I remembered why, and turned about the same shade of red as the Goron Ruby.

"Umm… It's because… Well… I _did_ just wake up… And…"

"And…" Zelda repeated.

"And it's a _little_ embarassing under here…" I finished, Zelda then started to look around, noticing that my Kokiri tunic and hat were both hanging up on the other end of the room…

"Are you…?" Zelda asked, unable to finish her sentence.

"No, I have something covering _that_." I told her.

"Oh, good!" Zelda exclaimed. "That means it's safe to look, right?"

I froze… "Uh…"

"I mean… As long as _that_… is covered, right?" she asked.

"I… I… I g… guess so… As long as… Yeah…" I said as Zelda started to giggle. Without warning, she suddenly reached over and yanked the blanket out from over me. "AAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I jolted into the corner just beside my pillow, curling up…

"It's OK, as long as that cloth doesn't come off, right?" the Princess inquired. "It's not like I haven't seen shirtless guys _before_, right?" With that, I eased up a little, and sat on the edge of the bed, baring the scars of many battles for the Princess of Hyrule to view. Zelda gawked at my rather worn-out appearance.

"Link…" she started, with tears welling up in her eyes. "I had no idea… You must have been through so much since I…"

"It's all right, Zelda… It's all right for me to call you by name, right?" I said. She nodded. "Either way, I started those travels on my own, and I did all of those things for you because I _wanted_ to… It's not your fault."

"OK…" Zelda replied.

"Now… Could you do me a favor and grab my clothes for me?" I asked.

Upon complying, Zelda walked over to pick up my tunic and hat, and then eyed them carefully as she walked back over to me.

"You know, I really think you need some new clothes, Link." Zelda stated. "These look rather small."

"But… I've had these clothes forever! I can't just go and replace them like that!" I exclaimed. "Besides, they fit perfectly…" I took the tunic and put it on, no matter how tight the fit. Despite my words, I had grown, and my clothes were a bit tight on me. But I had just said the opposite to Zelda, so I wasn't about to tell her that I was wrong.

"Fine, then. Prove it." she said. "Make yourself as broad as you can. I mean hold your breath, flex your muscles, and make yourself all around big. If your clothes rip, then we're going shopping before I take you where I'm planning on going today, if they don't rip… Well, you'll have to find out."

I responded by breathing in as much as I possibly could, wondering where Zelda was planning on taking me… My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the tearing sound made in the back of my tunic.

"HA!" Zelda screamed. She turned to walk towards the door. "I was right! We're going shopping as soon as you've gotten your boots on!"

"But what about breakfast?" I asked. I was, after all, _extremely_ hungry. Zelda turned around to face me again, and I finally got a good look at her. She looked stunning, even though she was in her everyday clothing, which consisted of a lavender gown that flowed effortlessly with every step she took, as well as long, white gloves to cover the majority of her arms. Her hair was without braid, or any kind of distinct styling, and merely shined in the sunlight, accompanied by a gold tiara-like headpiece with dazzling sapphires imbedded into key places to make it shine magnificantly. Upon looking at the stones, I realized that they were pieces of the very sapphire I had won for her a year beforehand, which caused me to wonder what she did with the rest of it.

"All right, you can have a quick breakfast," Zelda stated. "then we go shopping, and then, your surprise!"

After breakfast and the dreaded shopping trip, during which Zelda ended up buying me a teen-sized green tunic, and a one-size-fits-all hat, I ended up being led to the stables where my horse, Epona, was eating. As I walked up to her, she made a soft whinny stating how bored she had been.

"All right, this time, I'm the one who's going to be pulling the reins." Zelda stated.

I shook my head in surprise. "What?! Why? Why can't I guide my own horse?" I asked.

"This is why!" the Princess exclaimed as she took hold of a large cloth and tied it in front of my eyes. "You're not to take that off until we reach our destination!"

The two of us mounted Epona and began riding. I had my doubts that Zelda knew the way to our so-called "destination" until I heard the familiar flapping of owl wings above us. Kaepora Gaebora seemed to be serving as a guide to wherever it was we were going.

"Can I take off this thing yet?" I asked as we dismounted and Zelda took me by the arm, we slowly began walking.

"Not until we're there!" Zelda stated, shushing me. We walked through what sounded like a wooden cave, and I immediately knew _exactly_ where we were.

"OK, you can take it off, now." Zelda said, reassuringly. I romoved the covering from my eyes to see all of my lifelong friends, the Kokiri, standing around Zelda and me.

"SURPRISE!" the Kokiri yelled. This had obviously been planned. Mido and Saria came up to greet me. Saria gave me the biggest hug she could possibly offer, and Mido merely looked at me, straight forward… Then he found out that I was suddenly taller than him. He looked up and offered his hand. I quickly took it and we shook, like men. I was immediately surrounded by a barage of questions. "How did you grow? What's it like outside the forest? Were you lonely? Who is she? Is that pretty girl your _girlfriend_?"

"Hold it!" I exclaimed. "OK, I grew because…" there was a pause. I had never told this to any of the Kokiri before. "I'm… not a Kokiri, I'm a Hylian, which, yes, can explain why I didn't have a fairy to start with. Also, Outside the forest is great, but you shouldn't go there, because you would all die the moment you left. And another thing! Princess Zelda is _not_, I repeat, _**not**_, my girlfriend! She's just a good friend that happened to invite me to the castle to stay with her!"

The Kokiri all gasped at my response. As I looked at them, I could tell what they were thinking about. After all, I'd just told them that I was a Hylian, and I admitted to the fact that Zelda was the Princess.

"Well…" Saria started as she walked up to me. "Happy birthday!" She looked over at Zelda and they both nodded. "Zelda and I have been working on these for quite a while."

With that, Zelda pulled out a golden decoration lined with pure sapphire for to go with my new hat, and Saria pulled something from behind her back… It was an ocarina… It was made entirely of pure sapphire. Suddenly I realized where the rest of that sapphire went.

"Wow…" I said, totally amazed by the wonderul gifts… I took the hat decoration and put it on immediately, and then I reached for the ocarina…

"You still remember my song, right?" Saria asked. I responded by grasping the Ocarina and putting it to my lips. I suddenly started playing Saria's Song as loudly as possible. It was amazing, the notes were so clear when I played them on this ocarina. After playing Saria's Song, I decided to honor the person who had taken me in by playing Zelda's Lullaby.

Saria once again looked at Zelda, smiling. They both nodded, and suddenly, I felt the tenderness of Zelda and Saria simultaniously kissing my cheeks… I turned bright red and fainted… It was a good birthday…


	5. Gauron The Father I Never Had

Chapter 5: Gauron… The Father I Never Had…

As of now, two years have passed since my introduction to the life of a squire under the Hylian Knight, Gauron. However, despite his knighthood, he had apparently never seen certain parts of Hyrule before, so I decided I would help remedy that. Today, he and I would ride to see Goron City, and Zora's Domain.

"So," I started, mounting my trusted mare, Epona. She had grown quite a bit in the years we spent living at Hyrule Castle. I looked upon her shining white mane and began stroking it. "Where do you want to go first?" I was anxious to go anywhere, merely to see good friends.

"I believe we should start with Goron City." Gauron stated. "I've always wanted to meet their leader, Darunia."

"Then Goron City it is!" I shouted. I started Epona into a full gallop, with Gauron catching up to me on his silvery-white colt not long after. We left the castle, and went through the front gates of the capitol, where I immediately turned left.

"Um… Link?" Gauron asked me. "Isn't that the way to Kakariko?"

"Yes," I answered. "It's also the way to Death Mountain!" I rode on, the ride taking about a minute before Epona saw the stars, pulling to a dead stop while rearing up, nearly making me fall off her back. "We'll have to go on foot from here, Epona doesn't like stairs."

We quickly dismounted, trusting that the horses wouldn't wander too far. Soon after, we started up the long stairway leading up to the Sheikah village of Kakariko, where the Sage of Shadow, Impa, lived.

Gauron looked around, apparently noting the carpenter's lack of work ethic as they pranced around like small children. The building they were working on was just barely started on, and their leader, Mutoh, stood by the tree in the middle of the village, scowling at everyone that came by. I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Gauron asked. "Did I do something strange?"

"No, not at all." I replied. "I just can't help but laugh at a bunch of lazy construction workers." We turned to face the open gates of the Death Mountain Trail, and started the climb.

On the trail, things weren't too difficult, seeing as the only real threat was a few measely red Tektites. Whenever Gauron saw one, he would dash forward, brandishing a very large axe from a casing on his back, and he would cleave the evil insect in two. I looked in awe at the knights ability to go from a happy-go-lucky person, to a serious fighter in such a small amount of time.

We soon made it to the top of the trail, and I pointed out the entrance to the famous Goron City, home of the finest swordsmiths, bomb makers, and, surprisingly enough, dancers, in Hyrule, the Gorons. I looked up to see Gauron's expression upon entering the large cave in which these rock-eating people made their home, and it was worth it.

"This is amazing!" Gauron exclaimed. "I thought Hyrule was magnificent before, now… I can't believe they were able to turn a volcano Death Mountain into such an amazing place!"

"Believe it, goro!" a nearby Goron stated. This particular Goron was always seen near the entrance. He seemed to like welcoming people into their wonderful city. "Is this your first time here, goro?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gauron said. "My name is Sir Gauron, Hylian Knight. Would it be at all possible to see Darunia?"

"Of course!" the Goron replied. "He's down on the bottom level, you can't miss his room."

"Just look at the carpet." I added. "I've been here before."

"Link, goro!" the Goron shouted, finally recognizing me. "How are you, Brother?"

"Brother?" Gauron asked.

"I… sorta… cleared the Dodongo's Cavern out of the horrible creatures that were infesting it and preventing the Gorons from going in to get food. Ever since then, Darunia and I have been what he calls 'Sworn Brothers'."

"Impressive. You know, if the King knew about that, you could probably achieve knighthood pretty quickly." Gauron explained.

"Yeah, but I don't want to sound _too_ amazing." I told the knight. "I wanna _earn_ knighthood, that's why I haven't been accepting Zelda's offers to knight me."

"Oh really?" Gauron quiered. "Exactly how many of these so-called 'offers of knighthood' have you received from the Princess?"

I sighed. I had to answer honestly. "Two hundred forty-eight." Gauron was taken aback quite a bit. "Zelda and I have grown to be very close friends. She has offered shortcuts quite a bit, but she normally understands when I decline."

"Well, then. I suppose we should go and visit Darunia now, don't you think?" the Knight was eager to finally met the Goron leader, so I pulled out my ocarina and started to play Saria's Song, which had a very positive response from a certain Goron I know.

Darunia had heard the song and was suddenly dancing his way into the main chamber of Goron City, setting off Bomb Flowers and nearly crushing the large stone statue in the center. I looked to see how Gauron stared at the large Goron as if Darunia had some sort of mental problem.

"Is he OK?" Gauron asked. I nodded as I continued to play. Darunia danced his way towards my playing until he was directly in front of us, as I stopped playing, he stopped dancing, and looked down at me and the Hylian Knight by my side.

"LINK!" Darunia exclaimed. He proceeded to pat me on the back as hard as he could, knocking me into the ground. "How have you been, Brother?!" We continued our visit in peace, Gauron was amazed at the size of the Goron leader. He eventually became Sworn Brothers with Darunia as well.

"All right!" I shouted. "Next stop: Zora's Domain!" We had just left Kakariko Village, and Gauron had turned to mount his horse… "Nope, we're swimming!"

Gauron looked puzzled. "Swimming? Why?" He asked. "Oh, because of the Zoras being water people."

"Yeah, besides, the river on the way there is really quite amazing." I explained. "And we only have to swim a little bit." I jumped into the riverbed and swam across. It was extremely cold, and yet, refreshing. I hadn't swam in quite some time, despite my previous visits to Zora's Domain. Gauron had followed not two seconds later, shivering like the Gorons on Snowhead during Winter.

Zora's River was quite spectacular during the springtime. The water flowed effortlessly down an intricate system of creeks and small crevices. The Octorocs occasionaly came up to spit a rock, and the Magic Bean Salesman sat by the fence, munching his brains out.

"So, how do we proceed?" Gauron asked. "There's a fence in the way." I didn't respond, and instead, I grabbed a nearby cucoo and jumped across the wider part, with the cucoo's wings flapping, my descent was slowed, and I was able to make it to the other side. "I see…"

I tossed the cucoo back across the river, where it hopped up and down constantly, spreading feathers everywhere. Gauron picked it up and followed suit, jumping across the river over to the side I was on. Soon after he landed, I ran towards a patch of land further into the river, and jumped across, we ran along until I saw a familiar log, with a specific spot to stand. I stopped and pulled out my Mask Bag, which held every mask I had obtained in Termina, and pulled out a green hat called Don Gero's Mask. Upon putting it on, and standing on the log, the frogs that stared at me came out of the water and took a place on another nearby log, looking quite a bit like a chorus.

"Master Don Gero!" one of the frogs exclaimed. "You have returned! (ribbit) What shall you have us perform on this fine spring day?"

Instead of speaking, I merely took out my ocarina. Upon doing this, the frogs all croaked with excitement, anticipating the wonderful music I might play. I played a song I had learned in Termina called the New Wave Bossa Nova, and the frogs all jumped in pure ecstacy while croaking with every note I played. Each frog stood for a different note, and could change key with the notes, which was a true wonder for the world to behold. Gauron merely looked at what I was doing, seemingly amazed at what was going on. I looked in the sky, and saw the orange clouds of twilight marking the end of the day…

"We'd best get back…" Gauron stated. "It's quite close to dark, and I'd be willing to bet that our fair princess is worried about you."

I had forgotten about the time… I nodded and came back. The horses were not too hard to find. Well, at least, Gauron's wasn't. However, he didn't know that I could call Epona from anywhere. I proceeded to do so, using Epona's Song, and we rode back to Hyrule Castle, because I had a girl waiting for me…


	6. Tragedy Strikes

Chapter 6: Tragedy Strikes

It was raining the day after our trip… Because of this, most of the knights and squires were given unexpected time off, which I decided to spend with Zelda and Gauron. The rain was hard, like the storm that proceeds after the Song of Storms. Thunder and lightning struck all over Hyrule, and I worried for the safety of my friends in the forest.

"Link…" Gauron started, apparently sensing my mood. "Is everything all right?"

"Not really…" I replied, completely honest with the man I had come to trust with my life. "I'm… Worried about some friends… They live in the Forest on the east side of Hyrule, and don't know what to do in a storm like this…"

"Then it's settled…" the Knight said. "I'll see to it that they're safe, so don't worry…"

Gauron put on his regal armor. It shone a reddish shade of silver in the torchlight. Being a General, he had a long, royal blue cape that flowed with the wind, as well as a similar feathery decoration atop his helmet. He bore the mark of the Triforce, with wings below it. That was the sign of a Hylian Knight. It was a sign everyone trusted, even the Kokiri. When they saw that symbol, they all knew… Everything was going to be OK… He quickly ran towards the stables, calling for his horse, and rode off into the malestrom…

"Link…" Zelda said. "Don't worry… Gauron is one of the _best_ knights in all of Hyrule. The Kokiri will be fine…"

I looked at the Hylian Princess and made a weak smile. "I hope so… I really do…"

Hours passed… Hours that I spent pacing back… and forth… Zelda never took her eyes off me… She, too, must have been extremely worried.

Upon the fourth hour, I heard the clatter of horse hooves on wet earth. Despite the mud, I knew it was Gauron and his horse, for only they could make such an impact on the earth when they rode. Zelda and I made haste as we made our way to the Grand Entrance Hall.

Gauron made it back… But he was gravely injured…

"GAURON!" I called, rushing to the side of my seregate father.

"Link…" Gauron replied, weakly. "I tried my best, my boy… But…"

"Don't talk…" I stated. "Talking makes you die…"

"But… I must tell you…" the knight continued. "There was a girl… Unlike all the others, she ran… Towards the Temple where the gods of the Forest are worshipped… I tried to persue her, but I was stopped by a man in… Dark armor… He wore a strange helmet… When he saw me, he raised… His right hand… Upon the back, he bore the mark of the Triforce, with only the top triangle… Power… Emblazoned… He snapped his fingers, and… Horrible… Horrible skeletons… They bore swords and shields, and I could not match them alone… They gave me these injuries… I only barely escaped… Link… You must… You must help that girl… Only then, will I find peace… I'm sorry, my boy… I… truly… am… sorry… Link…"

Gauron fell limp… He needed healing, that much was certain… So… I did what I could… I took out my ocarina, raised it to my lips, and played the Song of Healing… His lifeless corpse dissapeared into thin air, leaving only a mask behind… It was named Gauron's Mask…

The girl he spoke of was obviously Saria, and the figure that stopped him… That _killed_ him… There was only one possible person to bear the Triforce of Power… _**Ganondorf**_!

"Link…" Zelda started. She looked at me with warm, compassionate eyes. Which was just what I needed… "It's OK… You don't have to hold it in… Go ahead…"

With that, I grabbed Zelda and held her like I would never let her go… And… For the first time that I could remember… I cried… Holding the Princess as close as possible. While weeping, I swore to myself, I would never lose Zelda… I felt comfort as her arms wrapped around me… But nothing could make the pain of that day go away…


	7. Gauron's Mask

Chapter 7: Gauron's Mask

I'd lost him… Gauron was gone… And all that was left was a mask… I had obtained masks like this before, healing those who needed it desperately using the Song of Healing. Whenever the song is used to heal a soul filled with regret, it allows the wearer to take on the shape of the deceased. This time, it was Gauron… I held the mask that etched out his face perfectly. I couldn't bring myself to put it on… Gauron's shape was something I could never use, because I could never live up to the man… He was the greatest of all the Hylian Knights, a General. He was a man of valor, and boundless courage and power. He could have easily taken either mine or Ganondorf's place as a Triforce bearer. But now, he was gone… And there was nothing I could do except grieve…

"Link?" Zelda called from outside my door. "Are you okay? Can I come in?"

"Yeah…" I replied, answering both questions in a single word. The Princess slowly opened the door, carefully walking in… She wore a white dress, lined with blue on the edges and making various patterns of knotwork along the long skirt and top portion. Her arms were bare, and she still wore the golden tiara-like headpiece. She walked up to my bed and sat down. "It's… just so hard to take in…" I stated.

Zelda placed her hand on my shoulder. "I know how you feel… Five years ago, my mother fell ill… All of the best physicians in Hyrule couldn't save her, and she died… It was around that time when Ganondorf showed up… I suddenly became very seclusive, and only really spoke to my father and Impa… When you suddenly showed up in the courtyard that day, two years ago, I knew that I could trust you… Especially when you stated how much you believed me… You… You even went after the Spiritual Stones… And nearly got killed, so many times… for my sake… I… I'm truly sorry I put you through all that…"

I looked into the glimmering sapphire eyes of the Princess only to see tears streaming down her face. Soon afterwards, I found that I was holding her close, letting her sob into my chest. Apparently, this ad been a hard week for all of us…

"Zelda…" I started, not knowing what to say. "I appreciate your concern for me… I really do… But…" I loosened my grip on her, and touched her chin, guiding her eyes up to look into mine. "I did those things for you because I _wanted_ to. You don't have to apologize for anything… So please, don't cry… It's not befitting of a princess of your calibur."

She looked at me and made a weak smile, wiping the tears from her face. "Yeah… Imagine… Me crying over something that's not my fault… but… It feels like it is… And… It hurts…" I looked inter her deep blue eyes… They were full of kindness, compassion, and love… Then I realized why I had made the silent vow I had yesterday… I loved her too much to let her go… We fell apart, both sitting on the bed, and stared at Gauron's Mask, now laying on the floor. I soon realized what had to be done with the mask…

"So… It looks like I need to go to the Forest Temple…" I stated. "I have to make sure Gauron can pass on without regret…"

Zelda looked at me, knowing full well why I had to do it. Not only was it Gauron's last wish to save the one he couldn't, but the one I had to rescue was the first friend I ever had…

"I'll go with you…" she said. "You may need the help, and… Besides… If I can keep you from getting…" She looked away, obviously unable to finish her sentence.

I immediately looked at her with a serious face… "I'm sorry, Zelda, but I have to do this alone…"

"Why?" she asked. "Why can't I go with you? Is it really that bad?"

"Well…" I started. I was a bit shaky on what I was about to tell her. "You see… now that Gauron's gone… You are the only thing keeping me here, where I have a home, that I'm truly welcome in… If… If Iwere to… lose you… I would never be able to forgive myself… I could never live with myself for the rest of my life… Yesterday, I decided, I wouldn't lose you like I lost Gauron… I won't let you die, not ever… I can't promise that nothing will ever happen to you, because I can't promise the impossible, but if there is one thing I can't do, it's lose you… It would hurt… far too much…" I said it, and I meant it… Zelda looked at me, completely silent… I merely stood up, picked up Gauron's Mask, and put it up to my face…

When it came on, the mask wrapped around my entire head, and soon encased my entire body. Gauron's features started to form on me, and I grew in size, to that of an adult Hylian in silver armor. I became Gauron, wearing the stunning armor, and a dark green cape. On my side was an axe, it held a chain on the end that hooked onto the armor on my arms, allowing me to use it at a distance for whatever was necessary at the time. Zelda stared as I took on the shape of the long-lost knight, as I took out a harp, what would have been my ocarina, and played the Minuet of Forest, sending me on my way to the Sacred Forest Meadow…


	8. The Temple

Chapter 8: The Temple

In a flash of green light, I appeared in the Sacred Forest Meadow, a spot I had visited several times before, to see that the stump that Saria normally sat upon was empty… the sky was bright orange, and there were strange black squares floating in the sky. I felt as if my spirit would leave my body if I had not been wearing Gauron's Mask at the time. Above me stood the large Forest Temple, a place I had been to when I became the Hero of Time… Seeing the tree that hung over the large, broken staircase, I took out the axe at my side, hooked its chain to my right arm, and threw it over the branch, hooking like a grappling hook.

As I climbed, an evil aura encased the entrance to the Temple. It had once again been corrupted. After retrieving my axe, I ran into the Temple, unaware of the things that may await me inside…

Inside the Forest Temple, two trees stood, like they always had,and a single door marked the entrance to the next room. Upon going through it, a large, black spider shot down from its hanging place above me. Normally, I would find Skulltulas In this room, but for some reason, they had been replaced. These new spiders had the same way of attacking as the Skulltulas I would usually find, and I found that my axe was more than sharp enough to pierce even the front of their armored body. Upon defeating them… I heard a familiar creepy laugh…

"Ohohohohohohohohoho…" the voice from behind sounded. "We meet again, child… I thank you ever so much for returning Majora's Mask to me." I turned around to find the Happy Mask salesman behind me, wearing his large backpack filled with the merchandise he collected. "It seems you have obtained yet another powerful mask, wouldn't it? There seems to be a need for the warrior whose shape you are currently in here… In fact, I feel a ghostly experience may befall this Temple in the future… You may have to come back someday… Ohohohohohohoho…" With that, he dissapeared into the shadows.

I soon found myself inside the main chamber of the Forest Temple, looking upon the elevator that would take me down to the room where the walls themselves moved. The red, blue, green, and violet flames stayed lit as I walked up to the device, undisturbed by the possesion of Poes. I stepped on the elevator, letting it take me down to the bottom level of the Temple…

Inside the room with the moveable walls, I found no doorways leading anywhere. The spaces in which the walls could be pushed was noteably absent, and the only thing I saw in the room was a large jewel, floating in the air, while holding an unconsious Saria. She awoke, and looked at me.

"Look out!" she screamed. I turned around to find five creatures that bore a strong resemblance to Stalfos. They laughed, brandishing their blades. Three of them were rusted with dried blood… Gauron's blood. They were solid black, like the spiders I had faced earlier, and had strange glowing red marks on them, making them easier to see.

_So…_ I thought, contemplating my strategy… _These are the creatures that killed Gauron… He said he couldn't face them alone… But he's not alone anymore…_ I brandished my axe and charged at the Stalfos directly in front of me. My axe was so strong that it penetrated the creatures shield almost instantly. The strange creature fell to pieces, suddenly shattering into small squares with light blue edges and flying into the sky. I turned to find a blood-stained blade coming at me. I quickly blocked the oncoming blow with the broad side of my axe, wrapped my chain around the black monster, and swung it around the room, destroying the other three creatures. I looked at the last one, the one who bore a wicked smile and the blood of the only person who I could have ever thought of as a father, and ran towards him, slicing him as much as I could… After he died, I noticed that there were no creatures left… The crystal that held Saria gently floated down, and dissapeared. Saria looked up at me, unaware of my true identity…

"Thank you…" she said. "You saved me, and I don't think I'll ever forget you… What's your name?"

I paused, thinking. This was Gauron's body, so I figured I had to use his name. "Gauron…" I said bluntly. Saria laughed and waved good-bye. She ran off towards the Kokiri Forest upon our exit of the Temple. I quickly romoved Gauron's Mask only to find that the spirit of Gauron himself stood before me…

"Thank you, Link… I knew I could count on you, my boy. Thanks to your deeds, I can now find peace. Please, don't cry over me anymore…" With that, Gauron dissapeared. All that was left was the song of the Forest to fill the air. The strange light that pervaded the air had subsided, and all was well again…

I played the Prelude of Light on my ocarina to set out for the castle once again, now that my work was done…

I walked up to the large wooden doors that marked the entrance to Hyrule Castle, and they opened. The entrance hall was quite empty, save for one person… I walked into the room and fell to my knees as Zelda ran over and held me as tight as she could…

"Gauron is at peace now…" I said. "And Saria is safe…" I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eyes…

"That's good…" Zelda started. "Were you hurt?"

"No…"

"Good…" Zelda looked me in the eyes… "Link…"

"Yes, Zelda?"

"I… love you… so much…" Zelda embraced me even tighter than before as she said the words that made me wrap my arms around her equally.

"I love you, too… My Princess…" I stated, and we held each other like we would never let go…


	9. A Good Squire Needs a Good Knight

Chapter 9: A Good Squire Needs a Good Knight

A week after I had returned from the Forest Temple, I had been called into the throne room. The King, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, had requested audience with me. I walked the now familiar path to the throne room, eyeing the awkward paintings of a strange turtle-like creature with spikes on its back, as well as a strange looking man, girl, and a dinosaur with an egg in its hand. I hoped to Din that the King wasn't going to talk about how close I was to Zelda…

The regal doors of the throne room opened wide to let me in. I made my way down the blue and gold carpet, looking at the two large, intimidating chairs, as well as the smaller chair which now sat between them. The middle chair was obviously for Zelda's use, as she _was_ Crowned Princess of all Hyrule, and the only heir to the throne.

Zelda waved at me as I walked up to the altar upon which sat the King. I smiled weakly at Zelda and bent down on one knee, as I was in the presence of His Royal Highness.

"M'lord, you summoned me?" I asked.

"Yes, child." King Hyrule stated. "I have noticed that the knight to which your services were entrusted, Sir Gauron, has passed away."

"Yes, indeed, m'lord." I replied. "I regret to admit that Sir Gauron has died."

"As I thought…" the royal continued. "So, I have arranged for a new knight to teach you. I believe that he will be a great asset to your ascension into knighthood, as he bacame my newest knight and most trusted advisor in as short a time as two years."

I nodded in agreement. "I will agree with whatever you decree, m'lord. I am here to serve."

"Very well…" the King of Hyrule motioned for a man to come forward. "This man will be your new supervising knight. You may now step forward, Sir Ganondorf."

I froze. As he said the name that made me tremble in sheer terror, a man stepped forward. His dark skin showed that he was obviously of the Gerudo people, of which there were few males. He donned pure black armor, with gold trimmings, and had a short grey cape hanging from his back. On his left leg, he bore a single dagger, which would obviously be all that the giant of a man would need in a fight. As I looked higher, I saw he had hair as red as the fire he would have left in his wake, had he been wearing his jewel, which would have given him devistating power. He had a rather large nose, and a smile that looked utterly wicked. I knew this man well, better than one would think, and I sorely detested the idea of him becoming my _mentor_. But, alas, I had already agreed with it before seeing him.

"Hello, Link, I am Ganondorf, Knight of Hyrule and advisor to King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule." the man said. I looked up at him in utter fear. Although I was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, the man was still a giant compared to my small, twelve year-old frame. He reached out his hand, ready to take mine. "I may not be as talented as Sir Gauron, but I will try to be the best mentor I can to you…"

"I look forward to it." I replied, lying through my teeth. Sometimes fate can be as cruel as this very man! How could anyone possibly think _Ganondorf_, the very man who _**killed**_ Gauron, could ever be a good mentor!

I looked at the face of my beloved Princess, Zelda, and saw the shock in her eyes. She, too, knew the name Ganon well. She looked at me with concern, and I was sure she would be with me tonight, speaking of what had transpired on this day.

And, as fate would have it, I was right. I heard a loud banging at my door a mere two hours after the announcement, and opened the door to find Zelda gasping for breath.

"Are you all right?" I asked, not sure if she was aware that she had obviously ran from wherever she was to my room. I offered a chair. "Here, sit down."

"I'm sorry, Link…" Zelda started. "I didn't know Ganondorf had become a full-fledged knight… In fact… When you suddenly showed up before your trip to Termina, he had suddenly dissapeared, and the evil that I felt around all who were near him beforehand was gone…"

"It's okay… It's not your fault." I replied. "Did he feel evil today?"

Zelda sighed. "No, he didn't. He was either hiding it, or not the same man."

"Well…" I started. "I doubt that there is any other man who looks quite like Ganondorf."

I sat on my bed with a sigh, thinking. _What could Ganondorf possibly want now? The Door of Time is closed forever! What more does that man have to gain here?_ Zelda seemed to notice my sighs, as she had taken my hand. This was going to be a long experience.

"Well," I began. "I _know_ this is going to be a very trying experience…"

"Yes," Zelda replied. "It is…"

"But I can deal with it…" I stated.

"How?" the Princess asked.

"Because you're with me…" With that, Zelda sat on the bed next to me, and placed her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a few hours…


	10. Strange Suspicion

Chapter 10: Strange Suspicion

Two months have passed since I was assigned a mentor I didn't quite agree with. My new mentor happened to be Sir Ganondorf. He was quite stern, and his training schedule was… surprisingly efficient, as much as admitting it disgusts me. In these months, nothing bad has happened, despite Ganondorf's presence… He was really only seen at the castle, and very rarely ventured outside of it. Eventually, I felt my suspicions start to falter a bit… This unnerved me, so I had to visit Zelda about it… The only problem, I had no idea where her room was!

I was running down one of the many corridors in Hyrule Castle. The hot summer weather had little effect on my ability to move around, as I had done a lot of exercise in my life. Although I was well aware of my position on the ground floor, in my two years of service at Hyrule Castle, I had never been _upstairs_. That was where the Royals and other important people lived, and I wasn't exactly a snotty noble like most other people who actually _lived_ upstairs.

Eventually, I came to a large staircase. I stared at the stone steps and swallowed up whatever it was that was coming up. With some slight hesitation, I placed my foot on the first step.

_This isn't something a squire should be doing…_ I thought privately, but it was too late, now, for I was already halfway up the stairs. After about a minute of climbing, I found myself on the extraordinary second floor of Hyrule Castle. It didn't look any different, but it seemed to have a regal aura about it. Every room felt different. This was most likely due to the magical powers said to be passed down in the ancestory of the Hylian Royal Family. I searched for a minute, looking at each individual room, unknowingly figuring out who was in what room and moving on each time.

My search came to an abrubt halt when I came upon a room shining of the utmost purity. Inside, I could hear someone singing Zelda's Lullaby. I listened closer, and found it to be Zelda herself. Quickly, I knocked at the door.

"Who is it?" Zelda asked from beyond the stone wall.

"It's Link!" I called back. Soon after, the door creaked open a crack.

"Wait here for a second," she said. "I have to make myself somewhat presentable." With that, she closed the door, and I heard loud footsteps inside her room, seeming to rush around, only stopping for a second or so. I waited a good twenty minutes until I heard the words, "Come in!" upon which I opened the door and walked into a room decorated with the finest silk carpets, drapes, and bedsheets. They were all a brilliant shade of red, and I found myself staring at the wonder that was Zelda's bedroom. It seemed to make my little shack out in the Knights Barracks look like a wooden crate.

I looked at Zelda and noticed she was wearing a lovely red dress, with golden shoulder-plates upon her arms. She bore the symbol of the Hylian Knights on her breast and had complex knotwork lining her skirt. I couldn't help but stare at her. Her hair hung down as it always had, with her usual headpiece adourning her brow. I found myself speechless, until she giggled and ran up to give me a hug.

"So…" Zelda started. "What's the occasion?"

"Occasion?" I repeated. I had suddenly forgotten why I had come up to Zelda's chambers in the first place.

"Yes," Zelda stated, bluntly. "This is the first time you've ever been inside my room, let alone come upstairs!"

I suddenly found my senses and looked the Princess in the eyes.

"It's about Ganondorf…" I started. "I'm starting to… Believe it or not… I'm starting to think he may not be the one that killed Gauron… I mean, it's been two months, and he's already your father's most trusted advisor, so he's had every available chance to take the throne for himself, but he seems to not care about that… Not to mention, his training methods are surprisingly effective… He may be a different man, after all…"

"Well, maybe you should talk to him…" Zelda suggested. "You never know a person until you sit down and have a good heart-to-heart conversation. We had plenty of them, and look at us now!"

I shook my head. "Yeah…" I began. "In love, and hiding it from the rest of the world..." I held the Princess tighter, and she began laughing. "But… I think I'll take your advice… It might help me settle down, for now…"

Zelda gave me a kiss on the cheek as I fell from her embrace and left the room. I walked down the hallway, pondering what to ask the man. Ganondorf was quite confusing already, bearing a _striking_ resemblance to the man I already knew, and fought, but seeming more genuine in his intentions. I truly wanted to believe that he was a different man, but I still had my doubts.

I found Ganondorf near the archery range. He had borrowed a bow from the armory and was shooting at the targets at the far end of the grass plain. I then decided to take up a position beside him, and strung up my Hero's Bow.

"Link!" Ganondorf exclaimed. "This is rare. I never really see you outside of training!" He released a shot from his bow, hitting the target shockingly close to the center. "Archery… Never was my strong suit…"

I quickly nocked an arrow on my bow and took aim. I remembered an ancient technique that Know-It-All Brothers in the Kokiri Forest taught me called, "Locking On". It was much easier whenever I had a fairy following me, because they would fly over to the target, but over the years I had been without one, I had learned to "lock on" to targets and enemies on my own. This had made me a sure-shot with any ranged weapon, and made sure that my focus was completely centered.

"Well," I said. "I believe I want to talk to you later… Perhaps, after this very training session?" I released my shot, and the arrow I fired flew right through the shaft of Ganondorf's arrow, hitting the center of the target, dead center. Ganondorf looked at my shot, and his now shorter arrow, in total awe.

"Very well… But first, we see who can score the most shots on the bull's eye." Ganondorf replied. We continued to train for the next few hours…

Shortly after the archery training, in which I had scored a total of twenty-seven consecutive bull's eyes, all at the same angle, and leaving me with only three good arrows, Ganondorf and I went to the Dining Hall, where the many cooks were hustling and bustling to create cullinary works of art.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Link?" Ganondorf asked.

"Well, honestly, you." I stated. I leaned forward on the table, supporting most of my weight on my left elbow. "I actually knew a man who looked exactly like you once, and I never really liked him. He even had the same name, but there was an air of evil around him… He was… Menacing… and he… He even killed the Great Deku Tree…"

Ganondorf stopped me, right there… "I know of that man…" I froze and stared at him in total shock. "He was my Hylian counterpart… Link… I'm not from Hyrule… I'm from Termina…"

I loosened up a bit and thought to myself. _Termina? How? I didn't see anyone like him there!_ Then I realized. I didn't have to… Many people in Hyrule seemed to have someone in Termina who was a physical double of them. The gravekeeper, Dampe, was a perfect example. He could never have been in two places at once. I knew there were Gerudos in Termina, they were pirates. I had infiltrated their stronghold using only two masks, the Zora Mask and the Stone Mask, in order to steal back the Zora eggs they had in their posession.

Ganondorf cleared his throat and continued. "You see, I once lived in the stronghold of the Gerudo Pirates. But… I hated piracy with a burning passion… I wanted to do something _good_ with my life. Despite my size, I didn't think I could get out of the stronghold alive, until I saw you…"

I looked at Ganondorf questioningly. "You saw me there? How?! I was wearing a mask that makes me as plain as stone!" Realizing my admittance, I quickly shut my mouth.

"Yes, I know, but a few of them, as well as I, were not fooled by the power of the Stone Mask. When I saw how you had weakened the defenses of the Pirates stronghold, I decided to make my escape, and that I would make it up to you… I had actually been following you, until you went to the castle, where the guards stopped me. I was told of the wicked man who bore my name and relemblance, and I decided, I would make up for the slander that the other Ganondorf had placed on the name we shared. I quickly became a knight, but you had already gotten a mentor. It was my goal to teach you myself, and become an important figure in your life, for what you did for me, but you already had the best knight in all of Hyrule as your mentor, Sir Gauron… I had no complaints at that, and decided to become the King's advisor. Then… Gauron died… I decided I would do the best I can to take his place as your mentor… I know I can never be as much as a role model as Gauron had been, but I hope you come to accept me as a friend, one day… Link…"

I stared blankly at the tall Gerudo man. "I… I don't know what to say… except…" I contemplated what to say… I could tell he wasn't lying. Having posessed the Lens of Truth for such a long time, I had come to tell whenever someone lied to me, and when someone had been truthful. Ganondorf was completely serious during the whole conversation… "Thank you for being honest with me…" I finally said. Soon after our chat, Zelda came into the Dining Hall, where Ganondorf and I explained his story to her. We then sat until the cooks came with a nice, hot meal for us.


	11. The First of Many

Chapter 11: First of Many

It had been two years since Gauron's death, and much had changed in Hyrule. The Gorons had done a bit of mining on Death Mountain, only to be halted by a large burst of water from the ground. They formed a pool of it and made it into a hot spring. This attracted quite a bit of attention. King Zora, of Zora's Domain, had fallen ill in the previous year, and was, unfortunately, deceased. Ruto, who was now their Queen, had matured a great deal from the loss, and was no longer the clingy firl she had once been. Zelda and I were going out more often, trying to find something to do in private. Ganondorf was now widely accepted among everyone in the castle, and Zelda had hatched an idea…

"Link?" Zelda asked as we walked down the foyer by the Hyrule Castle Throne Room. "Do you want to go check out the new hot springs on Death Mountain?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked at the Princess. She had grown a bit in the past two years, and despite popular belief, she had grown even more beautiful than she had once been. She wore a pure white linin gown, and her usual sapphire-embeded headpiece.

"I don't see why not…" I replied. Zelda grinned widely and took my hand, dragging me out of the castle gates.

Despite the trip to Death Mountain being one of leisure, I had gotten into the habit of taking my sword and other various weapons with me wherever I went. We hiked up the trail and soon found ourselves in the massive cave that made up Goron City. I looked around and saw steam coming from one of the rooms on the bottom level. The room had been recently added, and there was no sound of anyone in there.

"Can I help you, goro?" the Goron at the entrance said.

"Yes," Zelda answered. "We would like one private bath." I looked at Zelda with a dozen thoughts going through my mind. _Private? Why does it have to be private? Does she want to sit there in the hot water and… uh… never mind… It may be best if I don't think about it…_

We paid the Goron ten Rupees each and made our way to the room with the hot spring. There was a separate room leading off to the right, and Zelda hurried into it. There were curtains in this room, for changing clothes in privacy. I didn't see why they were needed, because everyone in the hot spring was nude. It was a tradition in Hyrule. This particular private hot spring wasn't gender-separated, either. This made me a bit uneasy as I went behind the curtain and took off my tunic, pants, boots, and undershirt. All that was left aside from my hat, was the small loin that kept my most private of areas covered. I sighed, and proceeded to remove it, as I did, I heard a splash in the water. Zelda had obviously already gotten in. I covered my manhood and came out from behind the curtain, redder than a Tektite.

I can't say if I really liked what I saw, because I was a bit too modest sometimes. Especially when it comes to matters of the body. Zelda was standing waist-deep in the center of the bath, arms folded in front of her, so as to hide her breasts. I couldn't help but look at her. Most of the time, I would see her in a very conservative dress, but now the only thing she wore was her headpiece! I blushed profusely, wearing only my hat, and the decoration I had received so many years ago. I actually never took the decoration off of my hat, really. I slowly made my way down to the water. It was boiling hot, but somehow refreshing. When I was finally waist-deep in the water, I was confident that any private areas couldn't be seen, and eased up a little. Zelda took one arm away from her chest and took my elbow… This turned me even redder, although she wasn't showing anything off. We soon found a seat made of smooth rock in the bath and sat down, putting us neck-deep in the water.

"This is nice…" Zelda said as she leaned up close to me. I put my hand on her shoulder, letting my actions state my agreement. Zelda soon opened her eyes and looked up at me. "You're still wearing the gift I gave you?" she asked.

I looked down at her and nodded. "I haven't taken it off. It's something I got from someone very important to me, so I wear it." Zelda blushed, closing her eyes and smiling. She put a hand on my leg, running her thumb back and forth. I suddenly took her hand in mine, hoping not to do anything truly risky. I had never even _kissed_ her, and I wasn't anywhere _near_ ready to do something as intimate as _that_!

"Link…" Zelda looked up at me, her eyes pleading for something… I looked at her lovely face…

CRASH! My things had fallen off of the stool I had put them on. Luckily, nothing fell except my ocarina. I reached over and picked it up.

Placing the ocarina to my lips, I started playing Zelda's Lullaby, which had quickly become my favorite song over the years. Zelda suddenly took the ocarina from my mouth, and replaced it with her lips… It was easily a surprising moment, but I couldn't help but melt… It was as if there was nothing else in the entire world that mattered… Zelda was mine, and I was hers… For the first time in my life, I felt whole…

We separated after about thirty seconds. "Zelda…" I started. "I need to become a knight soon… That way I can be with you freely…"

"Yes… You need to train…" Although she knew what I was talking about, seeing as a squire would never have the legal right to be with the Princess, she persisted in kissing me. I didn't resist, in fact, I returned them… My life was finally complete.

As we separated for the second time, Zelda looked me in the eyes. "I love you… my Hero…"

I closed my eyes and my mind drifted away… All that I heard was my natural response… "I love you, too… my Princess…" The orange light that pervaded the area only heightened the bliss… It felt strange, but I didn't care… There was just Zelda… and me…


	12. The Best Way to Ruin a Date

Chapter 12: The Best Way to Ruin a Date

There were only two words to describe what I was in as Zelda's lips met my own… Utter. Bliss. That is, until the water suddenly got cold.

"What's happening?" Zelda asked. She jumped out of the water as fast as she could, running behind the curtain behind which her clothing sat. I slowly got out of the water as well. As dried off and put my clothing back on, I noticed something strange in the air. Something I had experienced before…

"I don't know what's going on, but I think the Gorons are in danger…" I stated. Looking over at Zelda, who was still getting dressed behind the curtain. "You should stay here…"

Zelda seemed to move faster at my comment. Suddenly she was dressed and standinng in front of me, looking me in the eyes. "I'm not staying here…" She said. "I'm coming with you."

I sighed. Zelda can be very stubborn sometimes. "If you come with me, there's the risk that I might not be able to protect you, do you want that?" I asked.

Zelda smiled and did a sudden triple backflip over the hot spring. "I think I may be able to take care of myself if that were to happen." she stated. I stared at the Hylian Princess in total amazement.

"Where did you learn that?!" I shouted. Not knowing how loud I really was. Zelda merely smiled widely.

"Just ask Impa. All I had to do was tell her that I wanted to learn to fight, and she taught me." she replied. "Why? Do you think I was just staring at flowers whenever you weren't with me for the past two years?"

"No… I just didn't expect you to… Wow…" I replied. In truth, I knew she would learn to fight like a Sheikah eventually. We both knew that she would need to defend herself one day, and I had already had previous experiences with her alter-ego, Sheik. Granted, that was a different timeline, but I knew it would happen again.

Zelda and I rushed into the room of the Goron chief, Darunia. The room was completely empty, and the statue that Darunia usually stood in front of had been pulled away. I knew immediately where he was the moment I saw that, and headed down to the Goron Shop.

"What'll it be, goro?" the clerk asked. I immediately pointed to the red Goron Tunic, while simultaniously holding out two silver Rupees. The Goron took the Rupees somewhat greedily and handed me the tunic. Then I remembered that Zelda may need something to protect her from the heat, as well. I soon bought another Goron Tunic for her, and ran back to Zelda.

"What's that?" Zelda asked, obviously noticing the Goron Tunic that I had put on. I quickly handed her the tunic I had purchased in her size, and she looked at it questioningly.

"In case you're wondering, you'll need that tunic for the place we're going." I explained. Zelda put the tunic on, and a bright light surrounded it. She was obviously using some of the powers she had inherited through her blood. When the light cleared, the tunic she wore had become a dark red dress, with black lining on the sides of the skirt, and the symbol of the Gorons emblazoned on her chest.

"I thought it might help if I made it fit better." Zelda stated, smiling. I stared at the woman again, falling more and more in love with her with everything she had done that day.

I led her behind the large statue in Darunia's room, and we soon found our way into the Death Mountain Crater, where the Fire spirits are worshipped. I looked around and saw something I had never imagined before…

The crater was frozen.

Black, bird-like creatures flew everywhere inside the now frozen volcano. Making our way down towards the Fire Temple, I noticed something else that gave me chills like I'd never had before. There was a large block of ice, standing on a lonely rock. Inside, I saw the Goron leader reared back, bloody, and seemingly afraid. Zelda and I ran to the frozen Goron as fast as we could. I quickly pulled out my bow, nocked an arrow, and charged it with the Fire Arrow magic I had obtained in the mountainous region of Snowhead. Upon firing the arrow, the ice should've melted, but instead, nothing happened.

Meniacal laughter sounded behind us. "How entertaining…" the voice said. "To think you can even _try_ to melt ice from _my_ realm!"

I spun around, drawing my blade, shield held at the ready. Zelda stood beside me, fists raised, and glowing. Before us stood a figure with black armor, and a strange helmet. The person before us held up his right hand, and the Triforce of Power glowed fiercely. As I saw this, memories flooded back to me. This was the man that killeed Gauron…

I quickly charged at the man, blade forward, ready to kill this monster, but he merely stepped aside, and I fell. From above me, I heard more laughter. He was mocking me… I couldn't take it anymore! This man had to die! Getting up, I stood to face him. From his long sleeves, two swords came, ready to fight me one-on-one. I looked at the curved blades on his swords, and noticed a great deal of blood had stained them. The blood was not yet dry… This was the man that Darunia must hav fought.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. He merely laughed. In fact, his laughter seemed to distract him. I took advantage of the newly-formed opening and jumped. I leapt over his head, doing a flip, and slicing his large helmet in half. As I landed, the laughter stopped. He turned around, and what was left of his helm fell to the ground. I looked at his face, and it seemed familiar somehow… The man was tall, scrawny, with messy brown hair. He smiled as widely as was possible and started laughing uncontrollably once more. He began spinning faster than I could follow, and in response, I raised my shield. Before he could hit me, the path of his rampage turned. It turned in the direction of Zelda…

"NO!!" I screamed, leaping forward and taking the entirety of his hit. The swords he had were incredibly sharp, and sliced through my nearly rock-hard tunic like it was nothing. After five seconds of spinning, and slicing at me, he stopped.

"That was fun…" He stated. "But… I think that's enough playing for today…" He raised a single hand, causing the orange light to dissapear entirely. The black birds shattered into small pieces of strange black matter, and flew into the sky. "May name is Zantauri, just so that you know. I'll see you later!" The man dissapeared with a laugh of pure insanity. Watching him dissapear was all I could do as I lost conciousness…


	13. Dreams

Chapter 13: Dreams

Chapter 13: Dreams

I fell unconcious, watching the madman Zantauri dissapear along with the orange light that pervaded the area over Death Mountain. Thoughts began circling my mind. Inside Death Mountain had been something one would never expect from the inside of a volcano. The crater was frozen in its entirety. Darunia, a very good friend of mine, and the Sage of Fire, had been beaten and frozen. He seemed terrified… I knew I was injured, but in my current state, there was nothing I could do about it…

"Don't worry about your injuries…" A familiar voice said. "From what I can see, you are being seen by all of the greatest physicians in Hyrule. You will be fine… Although, there is a strange darkness coming from the wounds…"

I opened my eyes, and found myself in the legendary Chamber of Sages, housed in the very center of the Sacred Realm. There were six platforms around me, each one representing the Sage that would stand on it. I, myself, stood on a Triforce marking. There was a clear blue pool under the platforms, running off the sides, and into the walls. All of the walls looked as if they led to more versions of this very chamber. The room was truly a sight to behold. On the platform directly in front of me, for Light, stood Rauru, Sage of Light.

"Rauru?" I said, completely dumbstruck. "What's going on?"

Rauru folded his arms, looking somewhat distraught. "It's called 'Twilight'… We Sages created it some time ago…"

I looked at the Sage of Light questioningly. "Twilight?" I repeated. Upon saying the word, I suddenly realized that the orange light that had accompanied Zantauri, and invaded the Forest Temple happened to look quite a bit like the sky at the hour of Twilight, where day becomes night.

"Yes. And… If Hyrule is exposed to it for too long, it could have rather devistating results." Rauru explained. "Whenever we add our power to the strength of another, we allow a bit of darkness into the light-filled Sacred Realm, creating the orange light known as Twilight. When the Twilight became too large, we sealed it off in a different realm, now known as the Twilight Realm. It is much like a dark mirror of Hyrule, like the Dark World, but with some differences. These differences are not yet known, though."

I looked at the Sage in complete and utter silence… After about three minutes, the silence was broken as I sopke. "Someone is controlling that Twilight… He has the Triforce of Power…" I stated. "His name is… Zantauri…"

Rauru seemed speechless, his eyes widened, and I saw fear in them. He obviously knew this man.

"Link…" he started. "As you probably know, I have been watching over Hyrule for quite some time… Zantauri was… He was a researcher. A scholar, if you will. He was studying Twilight… One day, in the middle of his studies, a portal to the Twilight Realm opened up, and he was sucked into it. I thought that he was killed when he made it there, but it seems to not be so… You must defeat him… I don't know how, but you must do it… Before he grows too powerful and infects the world with Twilight..."

I merely nodded. I was deep in thought, wondering if I would even wake up from this dream. I had taken a serious hit when we fought Zantauri in the frozen Death Mountain Crater. I only hoped…

"…ink… Link… Link!" a familiar female voice was sounding. "Link, please wake up… please…" as she finished talking, I felt water hit my face, and I opened my eyes…

"Ugh… Zelda?" I looked up to see a tear-soaked Princess leaning over me. "Is everything all right?"

Zelda wrapped her arms around me as tightly as she could. "YOU'RE ALIVE!" she exclaimed. I put my arms around the crying girl and gently rubbed her back. "I thought you were… going to die… I was so worried…"

I slowly fell from her embrace slightly. Only enough to look her in the eyes. "I'm all right, Zelda… There's no need to worry anymore…" I said, trying to comfort her. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that… I just… moved without thinking…"

"You could've died!" Zelda shouted. "Why did you have to do that?! You _know_ how important you are to me! I _**need**_ you!"

"Yes, and I need you…" I replied. "And not just me, but all of Hyrule… You're more important than _anything_ else in my life… Protecting you is second-nature…"

"He's right…" another person said. I stiffened like a ReDead in sunlight. That voice belonged to King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. "You are easily one of the single most important people in Hyrule, Zelda. To all of us."

"I know…" Zelda stated.

"Link, my boy, thank you for protecting my daughter…" King Daphnes started. "In three days time, you shall be knighted for this." I nodded. I didn't care about knighthood that much anymore. I had to stop the Twilight, and keep Zelda safe. Then, it occurred to me…

"M'lord," I began. "I may have protected your daughter, but that was only a reflex. I doubt she would have needed it…" As I finished my sentence, another voice came from the shadows…

"Yes, I have been training the girl for the past two years, so she does not need too much protection from anyone." Impa stated, as emotionless as she always was. "It's good to see you alive, Link."

"Good to see you, period." I answered. The Sage of Shadow had easily lived up to her currently unknown title, as I had not seen her in the entire four years of my service at Hyrule Castle. The Sheikah woman was a very rare sight to most people, and it was always good to see an old friend again.

"Thank you, Hero." She said. "But, I digress, the Princess is really quite well-versed in the Sheikah fighting style, and I believe she may be able to handle herself quite well, unguarded."

"LINK!" A familiar male voice was shouting. Ganondorf burst into the infirmary, gasping for air. "I heard you were injured! Are you all right?!" he asked.

"I'm fine… But it looks like you need to sit down for a while." I replied. The Gerudo man nodded and sat down on a chair by the bed I was laying in. "By the way… I belive I know what's been going on these past years…"

Everyone in the room looked at me, puzzled.

"It's called…" I started. "Twilight…"


	14. Dispair

Chapter 14: Dispair

While sitting in the infirmary of Hyrule Castle, I explained to Zelda, Impa, Ganondorf, and King Daphnes what I had learned in my conversation with the Sage, Rauru. About Zantauri, about the Twilight, and how this strange occurance was created. Upon mentioning the Triforce of Power housed in Zantauri, Ganondorf stared upwards, blankly. He knew of the Ganondorf I had once defeated, and that the Evil King had used the Triforce of Power. Upon his defeat, and the return trip through time, the Triforce had been restored, along with the rest of the Sacred Realm. It was strange to think that another person could find their way into it… But it happened.

"So…" Ganondorf started. "This isn't something normal people can deal with, is it?"

"I don't think so…" I stated. "It looks like I may have to go and…" Zelda hushed me right there. She knew what I was going to say, and didn't want to hear it.

"Not just you, Link. I'm going, too." she said. "And don't try arguing with me this time, because you _know_ what I can do." I merely nodded. There was nothing I could say to persuade the Princess of Destiny otherwise. She seemed determined to never let anything like what happened at Death Mountain happen again, and I knew it.

"All right, but you have to be careful… And fight like you've never fought before." I replied. "There are strange creatures living in the Twilight, and I don't know if I can keep you completely safe."

In that instant, I heard a loud scream outside the window. Something was going on outside… Guards were flying upwards, landing in the mote that separated the castle from the rest of the world. Upon their landing, I heard a far too familiar cackle.

"Oh no…" I began. "He's here!" I jumped out of the bed as fast as I could, when suddenly a burst of crippling pain shot into my heart. I let out a scream of agony as I keeled over, gasping for air.

"Link!" Zelda cried as she rushed to my side. "Are you OK? You're wounds haven't fully healed yet!" Ganondorf quickly came over to me and helped me to my feet. With him and Zelda supporting me, I was able to move around.

"It's Zantauri… He's here…" I repeated. "I don't know what he's after, but…"

"I can tell you _that_!" a shrill voice stated. "_Him_!" Zantauri came into view, pointing a scrawny hand at King Daphnes. "Don't worry about yourselves, right now, I'm only here to ensure your dispair!"

With that, the fiend unsheathed his twin blades and started marching madly towards the King, swinging his swords like a madman. Impa seemed to anticipate this and took the King's arm, dissapearing into the shadows. Reguardless, Zantauri didn't stop. He continued to slice at whatever he could find, destroying the wall leading to the main corridor of the first floor of the castle. As fast as my mind and body could comprehend, I grabbed my sword, hat, belt, and sheild, putting them on as fast as I possibly could. I soon pulled out a bottle from one of the many different compartments on my belt, and released the contents, a fairy. The little orb of light flapped its wings merrily as it encircled my body, healing the wounds that were left. Rejuvinated, I ran after the monster with the swinging blades, with Ganondorf and Zelda following close behind.

Lucky for us, we knew the castle like we knew our names, as well as where Impa would most likely go to hide someone important. We rushed to the throne room, crossing its expanse in a matter of seconds, and looked at the large statue placed behind the regal chairs used to seat the Hylian Royal Family. Taking a place by the statue, and carefully bracing myself, I pushed. The statue moved aside effortlessly, moving to reveal a hidden passage to a hiding cellar used in times of battle. As this was an emergency situation, I knew that would be where Impa had taken King Daphnes.

We hurried down the passage, with me leaving as many bombs as I could in my wake. I knew that Zantauri would find out where we were, he seemed to have a sense about it. Upon reaching the chamber, I noticed something all too frightening. The King was injured, badly. Impa was unconcious on the floor, and the King was laying still, bleeding from a gash in his chest. Zelda screamed in absolute horror while Ganondorf rushed over to take the injured man into his arms. Seeing as I had used the last fairy I had with me, there was no other option for the King's recovery…

"Follow me!" I exclaimed. "There's a Great Fairy's Fountain outside the castle!" I motioned for everyone to follow as I ran back towards the throne room. We eventually made it to the Grand Entrance Hall, where I led everyone outside into the night, stopping at an abrubt hole that had been opened four years ago. Upon looking at it, I knew there was no way any of us could fit inside. Pondering a solution, I pulled out the Goron Mask.

"Stand Back!" I screamed. I put the mask up to my face, as the others stepped back towards the hillside. The familiar feeling of the mask wrapping itself around my head, and then extending to cover my body in its entirety felt far too slow for the situation at hand. My skin suddenly became as hard as stone, and my body expanded. When the transformation was complete, I was in the body of the late Goron Hero, Darmani. "Now, stay where you are, and sheild your eyes!" My Goron-like voice echoed across the hilltops, as I reached into a specific area on my now much bigger belt, to pull out the most powerful explosive I had used up to date, a Powder Keg. I lifted it up high, and placed it in front of the hole in the wall. Removing the Goron Mask and turning back to normal, I lit the fuse. As quickly as I could, I brought out the Hero's Bow, nocking an arrow and letting it fly towards the Powder Keg, causing it to explode violently, revealing a much larger entrance to the Great Fairy's Fountain.

We rushed in as fast as we could, while I played Zelda's Lullaby on my ocarina. The Great Fairy of Magic appeared with a high-pitched laugh and looked down at us. Obviously noticing the King of Hyrule in his injured state, she took hold of the man.

"I will see what I can do, but this injury looks to be quite greivous. He may not recover…" The Great Fairy stated. Soon after, she and the King of Hyrule vanished into the Fountain without a trace…


	15. Three Years Left

Chapter 15: Three Years Left…

We waited… It felt like hours. Zelda sat on the step of the Great Fairy's Fountain, while Ganondorf leaned against the wall. I paced back and forth, knowing full well that it never takes a Great Fairy _this_ long to cure someone, and that meant it had to be bad.

Upon my hundredth lap in my frantic pacing, we all heard a vary familiar laugh, as the Great Fairy of Magic sprang up from the Fountain. The King of Hyrule stood under her, like nothing had ever happened.

I looked over at Zelda, to see her eyes soaked with tears. "DADDY!" she screamed. The Princess ran over to the large man in red and wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug. "Are you all right?"

The Great Fairy looked down at the Royals. "I have done all I can… His physical wounds are cured…"

I looked at the Great Fairy, confused. "What do you mean by 'his physical wounds'?" The Great Fairy looked at me and sighed.

"There was more to that cut than a mere breaking of flesh…" she started. "Whoever hit him _knew_ that I was here, and placed a strange curse in him, as well…" She turned her head to face King Daphnes. "I'm sorry, my leige, but your time in this world has been cut short."

The King looked at Zelda, then directed his gaze at the Great Fairy, Ganondorf, and finally myself, before glancing upwards once more. "How much time do I have left?" He asked.

"Three years… I tried my best, but all I could give you was three years…" The Great fairy said, bowing her head. With that, she dissapeared once again into her Fountain. Zelda looked at me with a shocked look on her face.

"Very well, then…" The King stated. "Three years it is… Link…"

"Yes, m'lord?" I replied.

"I have made a change in plans… You are to be knighted tomorrow morning. In honor of what you have done for me, and for my daughter." The King said this, and began walking towards the exit, making his way towards the castle.

I looked upon the father of my beloved, thinking to myself. _I didn't do this to be knighted… I only did it because you are important to all of us, sir._ I took Zelda by the hand, and we walked back to Hyrule Castle in silence…

…

The sun was rising, and I was tired… Immediately, a bright light shined in my slowly opening eyes. It was morning… The morning after the rather devistating news. I eventually sat up, and got out of bed.

"Link!" Ganondorf called, meeting me on my way to breakfast. "I must remind you, that we have an appointment in the throne room after breakfast." I looked at the Gerudo questioningly. Everything that had happened that previous night had occurred extremely quickly, and I barely had time to register it all in the time given, so I was a little shaky when remembering everything.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Ganondorf simply looked me in the eyes.

"You're being KNIGHTED, Sir Link." He stated, quite bluntly.

I remembered what King Daphnes had said, and it finally clicked. Zantauri had shown up… He was insane, and tried to kill the king of Hyrule… He nearly succeeded, but the Great Fairy was able to save him… somewhat. We proceeded to eat our breakfast in relative peace.

Ganondorf looked up at me from his place at the table. "Two years…" He started. "It's been two years since I became your mentor… To believe that we will be _equals_ in mere moments…"

I smiled. "Yes… Thank you for training me as well as you did." I said. I had grown to respect Ganondorf as someone I could trust. He was, after all, not the same man that I had once defeated in a time that only I could remember.

"You know… Gauron would be proud to see you on this day…" Ganondorf implied. "I had great respect for that man, and I believe he loved you like a son."

I looked at Ganondorf… He was right… And I sincerely wished Gauron had been with us. "I… He was like a father to me…" I explained. "I never really had a real father… All I had before him was the Great Deku Tree, but he was more of a guardian… Gauron…" I suddenly found myself at a loss for words. Gauron was truly a great man, and I didn't deserve him.

We approached the throne room a few minutes later. Soon after the large doors opened, a large cheer sounded. I looked around to find a great many of the inhabitants of Hyrule filling up the large room. The Hylians were standing in the front row, on either side of the path I was walking on, while the Gorons sat behind them, jumping around and causing the ground to shake with their landing. I looked at the Gorons and noticed that Darunia was significantly absent… This sent a sharp pain into my heart. Darunia, the Sage of Fire, was still frozen with the Death Mountain Crater. Across from the Gorons, sat the Zoras, all clapping fiercely. Queen Ruto stood near the edge of the area, standing the large tub of water set aside for the Zora audience, smiling. As I passed her, she reached forward and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. I turned to look back at her and smiled, as she waved playfully at me. In front of me stood the King and Princess of Hyrule. Ganondorf had taken a seat among the Hylian crowd.

"Link." The King said. As he spoke, the audience fell silent. "It is great joy that I bring you before me on this day." I looked at the King to see that he had replaced his red tunic with an elegant blue one, with extravagant gold trimming lining the sleeves and bottom. His robe was gone, as it was a hot day, and he wore a beautiful jewel-encrested sword at his side. "Please, kneel."

I complied silently, falling to one knee and placing my right hand over my heart. The King continued, drawing his blade. "Do you solemnly swear to uphold the laws of our beautiful land of Hyrule?"

"I do."

"And do swear to protect its citezenry as if they were your own offspring?"

"I do."

The King placed the flat of his sword upon the top of my head, "Then for the Goddesses Din," then placing the blade upon my right shoulder, "Nayru," once again, placing the blade on my left shoulder, "and Farore, I give you the right to bear arms in the name of all that is good and just in Hyrule. Rise, Sir Link, Knight, and friend to all."

I rose slowly, with the crowd cheering madly. Zelda, in her traditional pink dress, ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Congradulations, Hero, you did it!"

I looked over to King Daphnes, and saw him nod. He knew. I then proceeded to take Zelda and bring her down as low to the ground as I could. She turned bright red as I placed my lips upon hers… It was a good day for all, but the hard times were just beginning…


	16. The First Knight

Chapter 16: The First "Knight"

I'd finally done it. I was a knight of Hyrule, after only four years. Zelda was easily surprised at my response when I rose from the kneeling position. It had become obvious that her father knew about our relationship, so I had taken her and kissed her in front of _everyone_. Even though Darunia was frozen with the rest of Death Mountain, I was having a very good day. Now, however, was the time when everyone at the castle would celebrate my newfound knighthood. And, unfortunately, it was the first formal party I had been invited to…

"So…" I started, looking at Zelda and Ganondorf after they explained what I would have to do. "What was all that again?"

Zelda looked at me and sighed. "You're going to have to _dance_, Mr. Hero. And I don't mean dancing to something like Saria's Song, either."

I grinned widely. "I can do that!" I stated. I reached into my Mask Bag and pulled out a familiar mask known as Kamaro's Mask. I put the mask to my face and started a strange dance, as the music filled the room. Zelda and Ganondorf were looking at me like I had gone insane.

Ganondorf took the mask by the figure of the person it was based off of and pulled it off my face, stopping the music and the dancing at the same time. "Actually, you'll have to dance _formally_, Link." The large Gerudo said. "And it looks like we're going to have to teach you, doesn't it?"

Zelda looked over at the man and nodded. "I guess so." She replied. "Don't worry about it, Ganondorf, leave everything to me." Ganondorf nodded and left the room.

"And I'm taking this mask with me, until after the party. I don't want you embarrassing yourself out there, child." He told me as he closed the door.

Zelda waited until the door was closed and came up to me, less than a centimeter from my chest. "All right, you need to know where to put your hands…" She took my hands and held one of them up. "Now put the other hand on my waist." I did so, not realizing how red I was becoming. The only times I had been this close to Zelda were when we were alone together, and imagining having her right next to me in front of the entirety of Hyrule made me quite nervous.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

"Trust me, Link, I've done this a thousand times." The Princess stated. "You may not have been invited to any of these parties, but it's _mandatory_ for me to show up at all of them. I _know_ how to dance."

She started moving her feet, making sure I followed suit, and we spun around, rarely separating from one another. Occasionally, I would accidentally step on her toe, which normally resulted in her kneeing me in the shin. I deserved it, even if it was an accident. Eventually, after three hours, I got to the point of never stepping on her at all, and my legs thanked me. When we finished, I received a kiss on the cheek for my effort, and Zelda turned around. She left the room waving playfully…

That night was strange. I had been moved into a larger room on the first floor of the castle, and several servants came in, all holding various things that looked like they were either used for torture or fashion. I came to the conclusion that they were used for both. Immediately, three men tackled me and put me in a strange chair, yanking at my hair and nearly pulling all of it out. The back of my head started to hurt from the hair being pulled back and tied together. The men had discarded my hat, and during the process I tried hard to retrieve it, all to no avail. When they were done, they shoved a large mirror in my face.

"How does it look?" one of them asked. My hair seemed to be pulled back into something like a horses tail. It looked sort of strange.

"I think I'll just go with my hat." I replied. Suddenly, a wave of men came into the room holding strange-looking hats. The hats were periodically shoved at me, making me lose balance. Eventually, I had seen all of them, and I sighed. "I meant _my_ hat." I stated as I bent over to pick up the cone-shaped hat that frequently graced my head. The golden decoration that Zelda had given me had fallen off, which sent me into a panic.

"Where did it go?" I asked, looking around frantically. "The thing that goes on the edge of my hat… where is it?!" I shoved people out of my way as I searched for it. Eventually, I found it, barely visible under the blankets of my new bed. I swiftly took it and placed it on my hat. I had gotten to the point where the decoration was an essential part of me. I never took it off, because of how important it was. I never really cared about the fact that it was solid gold lined with gorgeous sapphires. I loved it because Zelda had given it to me.

After I had put my hat on, several more men came dashing around me, stripping off my usual tunic and boots, and quickly replacing them with a very tight pair of pants and a tunic that looked a bit too shiny. I held out my hands to stop the men from suffocating me.

"I think I'll use a different tunic!" I exclaimed. The men backed away as I picked up my Zora Tunic, putting it on. It fit the Royal Blue that was on everything around me, and matched the black tights they had put on me rather nicely. I slipped into my usual boots and held a hand up to the men. "You can _leave_, now." I stated. The men started to hang their heads as they walked out of the room. "I don't know if I'll _ever_ get used to _that_."

The party had started the moment I came out of my room. Ganondorf was apparently the one who had told those men to come in and help me prepare for the celebration, as he was waiting just outside. "Are you ready?" he asked. I merely nodded as we started towards the extravagant ballroom, another room in the castle that I had never set foot in…

I stepped into the room and made my way towards the large chairs upon which sat King Daphnes and Princess Zelda. She saw me and smiled. I kneeled in front of her and offered a hand. "Shall we?" I asked. I heard no response, but soon found that I was holding Zelda's hand. We proceeded out onto the dance floor and started moving around to the music that played. During the dance, we ran into someone I was hoping to avoid…

"Hey, Link!" Queen Ruto exclaimed, the moment we accidentally bumped into her and her Zora dance partner. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks…" I said, dully.

The Zora Queen turned around on the floor. "Have you met my husband?" she asked. "His name is Rallin." The Zoras stopped dancing, and the man turned around to face me. He was a decent looking Zora, especially considering the fact that he was a man. "I didn't really have a choice but to marry him once my father died, but he's been so good to me… I can't help but love him."

Inside my mind, I was singing a song of pure joy.

"Well, then congratulations to you, as well." I replied. Zelda and I continued to dance the night away… For my first formal party, it wasn't that bad…


	17. Sage of Fire

OK... First Author's Comments... I know this is kind of a short chapter, but I still have a lot going through my not-so-work-well brain. But, I decided to write this chapter due to the fact that if I didn't, I would've forgotten about the brilliant idea that I had for it. Hope you enjoy it!

Oh... And... Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda. There, happy now?

Chapter 17: Sage of Fire

The party was over, and a week had passed. Zantauri had yet to make any major moves, and I was starting to ease back into a peaceful life… With one exception… I had made frequent trips to the still-frozen Death Mountain Crater to see my friend, and Sworn Brother, Darunia. He still stood there, frozen in a block of unmeltable ice… All I was able to do whenever I went there was talk to him, and hope he could hear me…

"I'm a Knight now…" I told the iced Goron. "All because of what happened here… I promise, Brother, I'll get you out of there as soon as I can…"

I stood up, ready to leave. I had visited Darunia each day since my Knighting Ceremony. The Gorons were in complete dissarray. It broke my heart to see such good friends suffering so much. The large statue in the middle of the city had been destroyed, due to Hot Rodder Goron rolling too fast and tripping over the edge of his platform. It had exploded violently, killing the unfortunate Goron, and the hot springs had to be closed down due to the fact that the water was frozen. I never knew that Darunia's absence could be so… unnerving.

Then… It happened… I had an epiphany… When I tried using the Fire Arrow on the ice that encased the crater, nothing had happened… Then, I remembered… Zantauri had said that the ice was from _his_ realm… And that meant that it was infused with Twilight… Then I remembered what Rauru said about the Twilight… It's essentially a mixture of Light and Darkness… If _fire_ couldn't melt ice from the Twilight Realm, what would happen if it was introduced to _pure light_?

I decided I would test out my theory the next day. I would bring Zelda with me just for the occasion, because I had given her something I had obtained in Termina, due to the fact that I _knew_ she could use it better than I ever could. I knew that the item would be of use, so Zelda's presence was _manditory_.

…

Early in the morning, I ran towards Zelda's chambers, trying my hardest to keep from screaming her name. I finally made it to the door, and noticed that I couldn't stop myself…

**SLAM!**

I had run face-first into the door of Zelda's bedroom. The noise woke a few visiting nobles, as well as a very groggy Princess.

"What's going on?!" she called. "I'm trying to sleep!"

I opened the door as softly as I could… "Sorry… I wasn't trying to wake you up that way…" I stated.

Zelda turned her head to look at me. "Why would you try to wake me up in the first place?" she asked.

"Because…" I began, anxious to tell her my idea. "I think I know a way we can free Darunia and the Death Mountain Crater, and it directly involves you and your bow."

Zelda shot straight up. She was _wide_ awake. "What? How?"

"Come with me later, and you'll find out. But you have to bring your bow and the arrows I gave you."

The Princess of Destiny merely nodded. "All right… First, I need to get ready, though."

"Of course, Princess." I said, slowly backing out of her room.

…

Twenty minutes later, the door behind me opened. Zelda emerged in the dress she had fashioned out of the Goron Tunic, her bow in hand, with a large quiver strapped to her back.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"As I'll ever be." Zelda replied. We soon made our way towards the stables, where Epona and the other horses slept.

"To Death Mountain!" I exclaimed, as I climbed on Epona, who reared up in excitement. Zelda looked at me on the horse…

"Why don't we just warp there?" she asked. "You remember the song, right?"

I looked at her, distracted. Epona was still reared up, and I had lost my train of thought… I soon regained it, though, as I fell off of the saddle and onto the cold stone floor.

"That works, too…" I said, stupidly… I looked at the Princess with adoring eyes. "I swear, you seem to be the only thing keeping me from riding off to certain doom…"

Zelda smiled. "Well, just because you're courageous doesn't mean you're _smart_!" she retorted. We both laughed. It was true, too. In the future we had been Triforce Bearers, and she was the wisest person in all of Hyrule. I, however, was a brave idiot. Smart enough to solve puzzles, but lacking in the way of common sense.

I then took out my Sapphire Ocaraina and started playing. Zelda wrapped her arms around me so as not to be left behind, and the Bolero of Fire rang through the air… We were swiftly taken away in a bright flash of red light.

…

Arriving in the Death Mountain Crater, Zelda started swiftly toward the frozen form of Darunia.

"What do I do?" she asked, readying her bow.

"Shoot one of the arrows I gave you at the ice!" I instructed. Zelda responded by nocking an arrow from her quiver, and taking aim with her finely-crafted bow. Upon releasing it, a blinding flash encompassed the area. She had fired the Arrow of Light at the Twilit ice, causing it to shatter in the same manner as the strange black creatures had beforehand. Darunia fell onto the floor of the crater, breathing heavily. The crater immediately started to heat up, and we knew that we had to get out of there, because a sudden release after so much forced inactivity wasn't good for an active volcano like Death Mountain.

Zelda and I took Darunia onto our shoulders and hobbled towards the entrance into Darunia's room, hoping to the Goddesses that the magma didn't rise too quickly…

Luckily, it didn't rise as quickly as we thought. We were able to make it into Darunia's chamber moments before the magma had made it to our location. Hurriedly, we ran into the large Goron's room and I pushed the statue back into it's hole as a sudden burst of heat came from the other side. We had made it…


	18. The Secret Behind the Attack

OK, I know that it's been _quite_ a while since my last update, but that's because we recently got my computer working correctly again. Anyway, more awesomeness awaits! (I plan on updating again as soon as I can.)

Disclaimer: Gee, isn't it obvious that I don't own Legend of Zelda? The only thing I own is a computer with random malfunctions that get in the way of updates! And some cards and gaming things that I tend to spend my life using...

Chapter 18: The Secret Behind the Attack

Zelda and I were walking across Hyrule Field, having taken Darunia out of Goron City. We had decided that Hyrule Castle was the best place for him to recover, as the Gorons themselves were in the middle of securing their city from the oncoming magma.

To be exact, I was the only one carrying Darunia. The only way to lift a large Goron like him is to _become_ a large Goron like him, which is what I did.

"So, why did you choose that mask in particular?" Zelda asked as we neared the gates of the Castle Town.

I looked down at the lovely Princess. Over the years, I had shown her every mask I posessed. She knew what each one did, even the one that I was always reluctant to use. "Because…" I replied, my Goron voice mixing with my usual tone. "It's the only mask that I have that is physically strong enough to actually lift him."

"But, you have that other mask… I know it makes you even stronger, and you probably don't look as funny when you put it on!"

"Yes, but don't you remember?" I asked her. "I don't trust that mask… No matter how powerful it makes me…"

Zelda sighed. The Fierce Diety Mask was the one mask that I hadn't put on to demonstrate for her, and she was somewhat anxious to see it.

"Well, I guess it's for the best, then." Zelda stated.

After a few minutes of walking, we were finally inside Hyrule Castle, where several servants had come to take the injured Goron off my back, rather unsuccessfully, I might add. Soon after arrival, we made our way to the infirmary, where Ganondorf, Impa, and a very young Goron were waiting.

"DADDY!!" the young one exclaimed as I put Darunia on the largest of the beds. It had been specially prepared for Goron patients, and was therefore made of stone. The small Goron looked up at me, very confused. "Who are you? I've never seen you around Goron City?"

I smiled and removed the Goron Mask, revealing my Hylian form. "My name is Link." I said.

The little one stared at me in amazement. "You mean the legendary Dodongo-busting hero, Link?!" he asked. "THAT'S SO COOL! Dad always talks about you! He likes you so much that he named me after you! I'm Link of the Gorons!" Link stretched out his hand to shake mine. I reluctantly took it. Despite being young, all Gorons are built with immense strength, and getting a handshake from one, even a child, meant either a broken arm, or a crushed hand.

After releasing my hand, Link looked at me, somewhat hopefully. "So… Can I have your autograph?" he asked. "Make it out: 'To my friend, Link of the Gorons!'"

Looking into the young Goron's eyes, I couldn't help but smile… When I was in the future, he had asked me that same question, despite the fact that his entire family was about to be eaten by the horrible dragon, Volvagia. At that point, the large Goron in the bed began to stir.

"What happened?" Darunia asked as he sat up. "The last thing I remember was that weird guy shooting something at me…"

"Zantauri…" Zelda stated. There was a sharp tinge of bitterness in her voice. I didn't blame her one bit. "What was he after, anyway?"

Darunia closed his eyes, trying to remember. "I'm not entirely sure… He mentioned something when he left the Temple… I think he said… 'Two down, two to go… I wonder where those **Fused Shadows** could be?' I don't know what those **Fused Shadow** things are, but they must be important to him…"

"I can imagine…" I began. "First, he attacks the Forest Temple… Then, two years later, he attacks the Fire Temple… What's next? The Shadow Temple?"

Impa began to tense at my small joke. Unlike all the other Sages, she had already heard the awakening call, and had used her power over Shadow to seal up the Shadow Creature, Bongo Bongo.

"Well… We know what he's after, even if we don't know what it is…" Ganondorf explained. "The only problem is the fact that we're absolutely clueless as to where it might be…"

Impa stepped forward. "Perhaps the best strategy is to wait until the Twilight appears again… It seems to be the only sure way to find him and those Fused Shadows he mentioned."

_Always the voice of reason…_ I thought. Impa was nearly as wise as the Princess of Destiny herself. However, unlike Zelda, she was able to show that wisdom more often due to a certain lack of judgement impairment brought on by conflicting emotions.

"Then… I guess we just live our lives


	19. The Surprise

(A/N: OK, I'm really sorry for not updating this in so long. I've been mowing over everything in my mind, not to mention I have auditions for plays coming up and my brother's wedding… Let's just say I've been busy. But I haven't forgotten this; it's one of my favorite works when it comes to my own stuff. Anyway, here's Chapter 19…)

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda… Of course, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference if I did… (Laughs maniacally)

Chapter 19: The Surprise

Another two years had passed… King Daphnes was still in good health, and Hyrule was happy. Thankfully, no wars had broken out, and the kingdom was at peace. Ganondorf seemed to be a bit tenser, knowing the rime limit for the King's lifespan, but he seemed to be the only one who took notice of that. We were happy for the first time in ages.

It was on this day that I had decided to take Zelda to the lake. I had a big surprise for her…

"So, what is it?" Zelda asked.

"I'm not telling you until we get there… And even then, you'll have to wait a bit." I told her. We were trotting along across Hyrule Field, headed towards Lake Hylia. I had decided to wear my Zora Tunic, as befitting the place we were going and, of course, bore my Guilded Sword and Hylian Shield… I also had a very special item stored in my pouch. Zelda decided to wear a most elegant blue dress. It was similar to the one she wore when she first revealed her identity to me in the alternate timeline, only her back was partially exposed, and the top portion curved to fit her body a bit more instead of hanging down like it used to. The entire dress had intricate patterns of knotwork running down the sides and along every hole and at the both the bottom of the skirt and the top of the dress itself. Her blond hair was draped down behind her, with parts of it flowing over her shoulders.

"OK, then…" the Princess started. I had hoped she had given up on trying to find out… "Are we there yet?!" And I was wrong…

"You'll know when we're there, because you'll be able to see more than just white cloth." I told her… Oh, yes, I had forgotten, she was also wearing a blindfold…

"How about now?" She asked again, just as we had jumped the fences blocking the standard way to the lake.

I simply dismounted Epona and lifted her off, taking her blindfold off her face.

"Why don't you tell me?" I replied.

Zelda opened her beautiful cerulean eyes and looked out at the lake, gasping and covering her mouth. The hour of twilight had recently struck, and the orange sky shone down on the water, with ripples running across and shining in multiple directions. It was easily one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen, and it had become obvious that Zelda agreed, because before you knew it we were both on the ground laughing with each other, with Zelda occasionally sighing…

"Anything wrong?" I asked.

"What makes you think that?" Zelda retorted.

"Well, you were sighing… It sounded like you were thinking of something…" I told her.

"It's nothing important… Just…" she began. "My father only has a year left to live… And… Zantauri is still out there… He might find the last Fused Shadows soon… Who knows, he may have already found them…"

I looked at the princess intently. "I know about all that… Remember, I'm the hero here, so I have to worry about it a bit more often… But… right now…" I paused and reached into my pouch to pull out what I had been saving. "The one thing that's really on my mind is this…" I held up the box in front of Zelda's face and opened it, revealing a sapphire-coated ring with two small rubies and a large emerald decorating the top.

Zelda looked at it and stood up quick. As soon as I was able to move freely, I got down on one knee.

"Zelda… we've been at this for quite a few years now… Your father even knows about us… And, I think he would appreciate it if he died knowing he had an heir…" I began. "Not to mention… I'm hopelessly in love with you… To a degree that I can't even comprehend… Princess Zelda… I ask this now… Will you become my wife?"

Zelda looked at me, then at the ring, and then exchanged looks between the two for a solid minute… When she finally stopped, she smiled warmly.

"Yes… I will…" she said, finally.

I took the ring and placed it onto her left ring finger slowly… She offered a hand to help me up, and I rose.

"You know, I'm not just doing this for the status…" I told her. "I don't care if I'm King, Consort, or just some guy you keep around… I love you… And that's all there is too it."

"Stop talking…" Zelda replied as she made sure my mouth was preoccupied. We stayed like that for quite a while… in utter bliss, as the twilight settled further…


	20. He Ruins yet ANOTHER Good Date!

This is my re-write of Chapter 20, since the previous version just didn't sit right with me. Not descriptive enough, too much talk, not enough action, and it really could have just been overall better. I'll try and update sooner, but I can't make any promises, since it takes a while for me to get an idea. Either way, I hope you enjoy this re-write.

Disclaimer: I most definitely don't own Legend of Zelda. And, unlike a friend of mine, I don't proclaim myself to be "The Zelda God". That title belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto.

Chapter 20: He Ruins yet ANOTHER Good Date…

Zelda and I… We were finally happy during this dark time of waiting… We wee to be married now. I had just proposed to her, and life was good… The hour of twilight was fast approaching, and we looked at the beautiful orange sky with hope…

"Link…" Zelda started, looking into my eyes. "When do you think the wedding should be?"

I looked at the Princess of Destiny fondly. "I think we should have it within the year, so that your father can see it."

Zelda smiled warmly at the idea. "I think that would be great…" She closed her eyes and rested her lovely blond head against my shoulder, huddling for warmth.

That's when things started to change… I don't know why, but it started to get warmer for some reason. It confused me even more as the river flowing into the lake suddenly stopped dead and steam started rising…

Queen Ruto suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake, and I thought she was just here to say hello, like always.

Zelda looked at the Zora woman, and waved. "Hello, Ruto!" she said. "How are… Oh no…"

She was floating on her back, and not in her usual playful manner. Her arms were floating lifelessly at her sides and her eyes were closed… Something was wrong… The lake wasn't normal and neither was she...

I immediately swam out to save her… "RUTO!" I screamed between breaths as I hurriedly swam, arm-over arm. Scooping her up into my arms, I noticed she was unusually warm… And… So was the lake! I was right in my initial speculation, it was boiling, which meant the Zoras in Zora's Domain were boiling, too...

I looked over to the island in the middle of the lake, seeing bubbles coming up from a familiar gate… Black squares started floating up into the sky, and I finally realized… He was here…

With a large splash of water, the demonic man appeared from under the lake, holding what looked like part of a helmet… His black attire was as plain as day as he floated down towards the surface of the water, causing more bubbles to come up in the area immediately under him.

"Finally…" Zantauri began. "Only one Fused Shadow left…" At that moment, he looked towards me. "Oh! And it looks like **my God** has granted me favor! Now I can watch you squirm…"

I looked up at the man, knowing what had to be done… He merely directed his attention towards the lake… I could tell that he was smirking insanely under his mask.

"Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to kill you yet… But… You might try coming after me, so…" With that, he lowered a hand, sending strange energy into the lake… Bubbles increased dramatically and the water got even hotter. I could tell from how Ruto twitched that the Zoras were suffering worse than ever before!

Zelda looked at me, then at the Zora Queen… "What should we do?" She asked desperately.

I closed my eyes in thought… _"What __should_ _we do?"_ Was the thought that repeated itself the most… Then I decided…

"We have to save the lake… I don't know how, but it's what we have to do..." Upon stating my decision, I looked over at the women that were in my company as Zelda closed her eyes.

Zelda nodded. "So how do you propose we do this?"

I looked at Ruto, who was only starting to look a little better… "We ask for help."

Ruto's eyes opened as I looked into them. "Link? What's going on?" she asked, almost in a daze.

"The lake, and all the water in Hyrule, is boiling…" I breifly explained.

The Zora Queen blinked and had a puzzled look on her face… "And…?"

"I thought you might be able to help us fix that…" I told her as bluntly as I could.

"How do you expect me to be able to help with something like that? You're the Hero here!" she suddenly screamed.

"Yeah, and you're the Sage of Water!" I blurted out… That was something she was supposed to find out on her own…

"What?" she started… "I'm… By the Triforce…"

Zelda looked at me. "How do you know for sure?"

I took the Princess's hand… "That's something I'll have to tell you at another time… Until then…"

"Then…" Ruto continued. "I can do this?"

All I could do was nod.

Ruto suddenly stood up… "Then I'll have to try…"

The Zora Queen walked up to the surface of the lake, closing her eyes… At that point, she started glowing bright blue… She walked out onto the water, litterally walking on top of it and held out one hand. Her eyes had yet to open. Looking at the outstretched hand, I could see what looked like shards of ice forming into a strange-looking staff. As soon as the staff had been formed, Ruto began a strange ritualistic dance. Her body moved as if the Godesses were controlling it. She moved like the flow of a river, yet was as calm as a lake at the same time... It was mezmerizing, and all either I or Zelda could do was simply watch as the dance continued. Her movements had picked up in speed and the rhythm increased at the same time all while pillars of water formed under her, lifting her up as if to give her praise. After ten more minutes of the dance, she held the staff up and slammed it into the lake, suddenly stopping the bubbles and steam as the pillars of water froze and shattered into millions of tiny sparkling shards of ice. It began to rain…

Zelda looked at Queen Ruto in awe… "That was amazing…" she said simply.

Ruto walked back to the shore and collapsed, with only my arm to hold her up. "Thanks, Zelda…" she replied. We stayed with her and told her of the recent goings-on, including what had been happening concerning Zantauri, King Daphnes, Darunia, and all of Hyrule. The Zora girl seemed to take it rather well. When she had finally regained her strength, she walked back to the water and dove in, not coming up. I assumed she had gone back to Zora's Domain.

We left the lake in relative peace, but I had to admit, it was a depressing ride back…

"Just when things start to go right…" I started to say.

"Let's not talk about him…" Zelda interjected. "I just want to go home and go to sleep…"

I want to thank Player4 for submitting his review of this chapter. If you hadn't, then I wouldn't have been able to re-write it and make it as good as I think I may have gotten it. It's not perfect, but I hope it's much better than the previous version.


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